Albion's Hero: The Lost Chapters
by RiotDragon
Summary: The conclusion has arrived, and Lyle has finally shown his true feelings. Now, he and his comrades must make their last stand against the evil demon known to them as Jack of Blades.
1. The New Age

OoO( 1 )OoO

The hero leaned over staring at the map. He had been staring at it for about two hours, hoping something would jump out at him. But nothing happened. He just stared blankely at the map, waiting. Suddenly, his heart jump started as someone barged into his house. He looked up outraged, then sighed and smiled at the ground.

"Cara, how many times do I have to tell you to knock before you bust the door in. At the very least I won't have a heart attack before the door flies off." said the mage. He looked back at his student and noticed she was dressed very classy. Her short black hair was spiked in the back as normal, but her now grown body was covered in a very elegant, yet teasingly revealing dress. The black cloth went from her shoulders down to her abdomen, allowing viewers to see a small amount of skin going all the way down her chest. The lower half of the dress reached the floor with a split from the bottom to the top of her right hip. She wore a beautiful necklace around her neck, with silver linked chains holding a gem the same color as her ruby eyes in its place.

She smiled back at him. "Oh cummon Van. Getting excitable in your old age?" she asked, giggling like mad when he glared at her. "It was a jest, don't throw me into the river over it." she said.

"I'm not that old." he said smirking. "Well, at least not compared to some of the heroes in the guild. I think 29 is a decent age. Still too young to retire though." he said sighing. Then he looked at her again. "Is that what you are wearing to the ceremony?" he asked her. She nodded excitedly.

"What do you think? Scarlet helped me pick it out." she said as she held her arms out and spun in a full circle, showing off her exquisite gown to her mentor. He nodded in admiration.

"It goes perfectly with you. Scarlet has an eye for beauty." he said to her, making her squeal and run out the door. He laughed again, then looked down at the map. Sighing, he brushed his long hair back and began talking to himself. "Where are you Lyle?" he asked as his eyes searched across the parchment covered with red X's. The only location that they hadn't checked that was still within the reaches of Albion was Bowerstone North, for the obvious reason that it would be the last place someone like Lyle would try to hide.

Suddenly, footsteps behind him alerted him. But he knew her by her presence. He smiled as her arms wrapped around his waste gently. "Hello hero." she cooed gently.

He smirked at the nickname his wife had given him. Turning around in her arms, he kissed her and looked into her eyes. "Good morning beautiful. Are you ready for the festival tonight?" he asked her.

Elizabeth smiled and stepped back, showing the lovely red dress she had on. It wasn't near as revealing as Cara's, but it was still gorgeous, fitting to every curve in her body. "I think you are the only one in Albion who isn't ready." she said. "Now get upstairs and get dressed." she said, shooing him away from the table. Looking down at it, she lowered her head sadly. "Oh Lyle...where are you?" she asked, then went up the stairs after her husband.

OoOoO

The girl sat on the wall of the guild and stared at the darkness. She sadly wished she could see the sunset one more time, but knew that it would never happen. It had been a month since her dream. She thought that after the battle with Jack, she would retire her seeing powers for good. After all, they only brought ill news, and nothing good came from them.

But one night she had dozed off in her quarters in front of the fireplace. It was her favorite spot in the world. It seemed that no demon, no bandit, no beast could ever reach her if she sat there. Her mind had seemed to shut down her body and she faded into unconsciousness. She opened her eyes again and saw in front of her a small village. It was sitting next to the shore of a sea. She looked down and noticed herself standing on the water of the sea, making her feel somewhat nervous. But all her emotion flew out of her mind as she heard the loudest roar ever cut through her ears.

Looking up from her position, she saw the village go up in flames and a dark figure mustered itself from the smoke. It was enormous, with a long serpentine neck and breath that smote the village with hellfire. Suddenly, she heard laughing from the village. No...from the beast! It was laughing, and it was familiar. One she would never forget even if she lived to be a thousand years old. Jack of Blades was laughing maniacly again. Suddenly she awoke and for a moment, her body refused to move. When finally her limbs responded to her urges, she got up and went immediately to her mother.

Scarlet was baking in the kitchens when her daughter confronted her about the dream. The womans eyes went wide with horror. "Oh no...Jack is coming back..." she said as she read the dream perfectly. "How...how can he come back!?" she asked as she sank to the floor holding her head. "We need to find Lyle. If what your dreams says is true, he will be infinitely more powerful than he ever was..." she said. From that point forward, there was a manhunt for the hero across then entire continent of Albion . But in years, nobody had found Lyle. And the manhunt didn't change anything. Months of searching proved to be fruitless, as if he just dropped off the face of the earth.

Sighing to herself, she stood up and walked down the stairs to the the ground, where she was confronted by the guildmaster. "Oh, hello Theresa. Are you going to the celebration tonight?" he asked. She sighed again.

"I fear if we do not find my brother we may not have a reason to celebrate." she said. "The fall of Jack years ago inspired this festival, but it seems that it was a pointless effort." she said sadly.

The guildmaster, a normally gentle and caring man stood to his full height and glared at her. "Are you saying that Talon's sacrifice was pointless?" he asked her roughly. "Everything she died for was all meaningless?"

She looked up at him, stunned. It seemed since the dream, she had forgotten about all the sacrifice that went into killing Jack of Blades. She lowered her head in shame. "I apologize. Talon was a great hero, and a good friend to me as well..." she said. "I only meant that Lyle killed Jack, and even more. How would Jack be able to come back? He no longer has a body, even if he could escape from hell." she said.

"These are matters not worth worrying about Theresa." he said, making her look at him questioningly. "As we have seen from your past prophesies, what happens happens. There is nothing any of us can do to change it because we don't know how things will get to where they are. If we try to change it, then we find out later that we were the cause of it. So all we can do is live life the way it is and hope that Lyle comes out of the woodwork sooner or later." he said. He smiled gently at her. "Theresa, you are still a young girl. You should be worried about things such as marriage and..." he said, but was cut off as the girl burst into laughter.

"M-Marriage?" she asked through gasps of air.

The guildmaster looked at her startled. "Yes, of course. Isn't it every young girls desire to marry a..." he said, but was cut off again as she laughed harder. "Might I ask what is so funny?" he said curiously.

She stopped and took deep breaths before answering. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you...It's just I've never really seen myself as the married type. I mean, when I was a girl in Oakvale I did dream about it. But now it just...seems like dead weight." she said shrugging.

The guildmaster nodded understandingly. "Of course. There are those who would rather be a free spirit than be tied in matrimony. It is nothing strange." he said. "Now then, about the celebration..." he said.

"Alright alright, I'll go get dressed." she said smiling. "Thank you again guildmaster. You are a good friend." she said hugging him.

"Oh, I won't be guildmaster for much longer. I've decided to retire and pass the guild on to another." he said to her. "So you can call me Marcus from now on." he said.

She stood stunned momentarily. It was as if she had finally learned the meaning of life. Nobody in the existence of the guild aside from Maze had known the guildmasters real name. She smiled and nodded. "Alright Marcus, I will see you at Hook Coast." she said, then turned and walked towards the guild.

OoOoO

The woman walked through trees and brush, the path before her lit only by the failing light of the sun as the massive star sank behind the horizon. She held her bow over one shoulder, only two arrows left in her arsenal. Almost a mile behind her was a massacre of beasts like nobody had ever seen. Walking through Darkwood wasn't smart unless you carried one of two things. Magic strong enough to destroy a small town, or a weapon and skill enough to use it like it was a part of you.

This was her case. Her bow was an extension of her soul, a reaper of death to all who were in its sights. She had been attacked by a massive horde of creatures that stumbled into her by accident.

A small group of hobbes was being attacked by a pack of balverines when they had stumbled into her. They had immediately turned their attention to her, which ended up being the last thing they did. Her arrows pierced as if they were the wind.

In a matter of moments the entire group was dead. She stepped into the glow of the cullis gate and for a moment, and she was lifted from the ground. Landing softly on a stone dais, she walked forward into the snow covered grounds of Hook Coast . The icy flakes brushed against her skin and melted instantly, falling by the millions. She walked into the town, greeted by everyone as she was well known. She stepped over to the house off to her left and opened the door with a key.

Pushing the door open, she walked inside and hung her bow up on the wall, then set her quiver down under it. The girl came down the stairs and saw the woman, then smiled brightly. "Big sister! I thought you were going to be late!" she said as she ran upstairs to the room of the house.

Alex smiled at the girl as she ran up the stairs again. "I told you I would be here did I not?" she asked. Then her head turned to look at the picture hanging from the wall. There he was again. She never got tired of looking at the painting. I showed how much he had cared for her. He stood in defiance of death, facing a creature that was much stronger than he was just so he could avenge her. Her eyes traced his built body down to his infernal fists. Then up to the look of hatred and pain on his face. The old man that painted it did an excellent job, sparing no detail on the painting. Even the house that Van had been smashed through showed in the background.

She reached up and unbuckled her armor, then let it fall to the ground with a loud thud. Underneath was only a white cloth shirt that cut off just below her ribs, allowing her stomach to be seen. The girl came back down the stairs with elegant white robes in her arms, holding them up for the woman. Alex reached down and took them, then held them up so she could see. "They are gorgeous." She said admiringly.

The girl squealed with joy. "I knew you would like them! The merchant gave them to me for cheap also!" she said. Alex looked at her worriedly, then started to scan the robes for any defects. No merchant went cheap on an item, regardless if it was for a festival or not. But everything seemed fine with it, so she laid it down, then took off her under armor clothing. Aerika watched her admiringly. She was by far the most gorgeous female in Albion , and it was well known that she was as deadly as she was beautiful. Only those foolish sailors from foreign lands still tried to swoon her with valiant tales of heroism that were more unreal than even Lyle's adventures.

They, however, learned that trying to win her heart was an impossibility. And the more persistent ones learned the hard way, usually ending up hanging upside down from the roof of the tavern or putting out fires on their rears. She had been to the Arena as a guest once, invited to go with Van.

Though he did well, there was no question that his victory was the consequence of her skill with her bow. Wasps fell to his fire, hobbes fell to his lightning, and balverines fell to his dark army of summons. But the trolls, were more than he could handle, as it was when he was younger. Her bow struck true on the Onyx trolls and in a gasp of amazement from the crowd, both of the onyx trolls fell to three of her arrows.

From that point on, her name was set in stone. The Angel of Death, they called her, after her nickname given as an assassin. She turned down the offer to face Van in the final round and gave up the title to him. Though he was champion, he knew that there was no way he could have defeated her. Not just because of her skill, but he would never think about laying a hand on her. Van had also known that Alex's heart was sealed for one person, and as much as it had pained him, it wasn't him.

"Sister?" asked Aerika as she noticed the woman stare off into space. Alex shook her head then smiled.

"Sorry, daydreaming." She said, then began to dress for the nights events.

OoOoO

Fires were lit, cullis gates shined to life, and people crowded into Hook Coast from all over country to celebrate the day the hero of Albion struck down evil in its prime, and saved the land from the tyrannical reign of the madman, Jack of Blades.


	2. The Second Attack

OoO( 2 )OoO

The sun sank behind the far horizon, causing white clouds to grey, shadows to swallow everything in sight, and an orange glow to radiate from the sea before finally going out leaving only twilight behind. Though it was night, there was plenty of light on the coastal town, as bon fires built in the sand soared high swallowing the wood they were fed and giving off the smell of sweet herbs. Loud music floated on the air and numerous people were dancing on the soft sand of the beaches, singing out their merriment in a loud tune.

His face was only lit by a the fire as he danced in circles with the villagers around the roaring inferno. His black hair spun, as well as the small red cloak that dangled from his shoulders as his student danced next to him, teaching him her moves. Cara giggled loudly as she watched her mentor spin around, only to get dizzy and fall over, causing a large cloud of sand to fly into the air.

"How on earth you do that is beyond me..." said the mage as he shook the spinning from his mind and sat up in the sand. The girl helped him up, still stifling laughes from her teachers uncoordinated antics.

"I guess its magic." she said as a joke, making him laugh as they went to the feasting tables. Van sat down at the table and took a large tankard full of ale and drank it. He looked over at one of the many troupes that occupied the beach as well, playing music with their instruments and performing amazing acrobatics. But, his eyes wandered to one person in particular. He stood just about Van's height, with a very muscular build. But, his face was masked by the hood of a wolfskin. He was no doubt the bad guy in the troupe's plays and performances. He sat in the sand staring at the fire that many danced around as a young girl from the troupe came and sat next to him, giving him a drink as well.

"Van? Is something wrong?" asked a heavenly voice next to him. He looked over and noticed Alex in her new dress. His breath was caught in his throat, and he was certainly glad that he was used to her now. He didn't enjoy acting like an idiot in front of her.

"Y-Yes. Why do you ask?" he asked her smiling nervously.

"You just seemed dazed by something." she said smiling at him.

He chuckled. "Sorry, just thinking about things." he said.

"Well, now isn't the time for that! It's time for happiness, so lets see you up and dancing." she said pulling his arm until he stood again. He shook his head laughing more.

"Sorry, I've had my fill of dancing for now. But I'm sure there is someone around who would love to dance with someone as gorgeous as yourself." he said, making her cover her face with her hands.

She giggled, then pushed him, causing him to fall back into his seat. "Van, you always know how to cheer me up." she said with a large smile.

He looked at her curiously. "Was something wrong before?" he asked her. She shook her head. He nodded as he noticed the look on her face go from a smile to a half sad, half attempted smile. "I understand." he said as he closed his eyes. Opening them again, he looked into hers and it was as if they had a full conversation in the brief glimpse of each other. "You should be happy tonight. After all, it is a festival." he said standing and smiling again. She smiled again and nodded at him.

Aerika came up behind her wearing a simple white gown, with a familiar canine friend behind her. She had food in her hands and attempted to talk through mouthfulls of desert. "Big sister! You....gotta try....this food!" she said happily as she continued to munch on the food. Alex and Van laughed loudly as the wolf sat next to the girl, his tongue hanging out as he panted happily.

A man wearing a sophisticated looking top-hat approached and began to speak up above the din. The music and chatter all stopped to allow his words passage. "Now ladies and gentlemen, we will be holding a contest of one of the most ancient and graceful forms of art!" he said sparking cheers and shouts from the crowd. He stepped out of the way and there was a circle of rocks in the sand as large as the melee ring in the guild. Van smirked. "I welcome you to the King of Fighters challenge! Anyone may participate, and the winner will receive a one of a kind trophy as well as a desert made in their honor! Now! Who is up to the challenge!?" he shouted, getting roars back from the crowd as men and women alike ran to the circle.

"What do you think Van, should we enter?" asked Alex. He turned and looked at her curiously.

"You know how to fight hand to hand?" he asked her and she giggled.

"I had Whisper teach me as we were growing up. After all, a bow is only useful if you are at a distance. I needed insurance incase anything slipped past my bow." She said smiling.

"I see, so I take it you want to test your skills against me then?" he asked her smiling. She nodded and he laughed. "Alright then, lets see if my magic isn't the only thing I have going for me. " He said.

They stepped forward and someone was already waiting in the ring. A large man with a tribal-like tattoo on his back was standing in the circle stretching. "Who dares face the mighty Boris?" shouted the ring announcer.

"Drake! You should go!" shouted the girl, and Van's eyes went back to the man with the wolf skin and the girl attached to his arm. He looked hesitant, but the girl nudged him into the ring and the battle was on at the announcers call. Boris charged forward and took a massive swing at the mans face, but he only hit air as Drake leaned back away from the attack.

Suddenly, the warrior took up a martial arts stance. Van's eyes widened. "That style…Whisper…" he said surprised. Boris took another swing, only to have it blocked. Drake thrust his palm into the mans chest sending him stumbling backwards, before jumping into the air and spinning rapidly. His leg lashed out and connected with the mans head, sending him spiraling through the air and crashing to the sand with a thud.

When Boris rose, he looked at the marks on the ground and realized that he had been thrown from the ring. "Ayaa…." He said as he walked back into the ring rubbing his cranium where he was struck by the flying kick. He stopped in front of the disguised warrior and held his hand out. Drake looked at the hand, then took it and shook it without changing his expression. The crowd cheered and the two fighters left the ring. Two more took their places and the tournament began again.

Drake walked over and sat cross-legged next to the girl again. Van couldn't take his eyes off the warrior. "Something about him…" he said, then looked down at his chest. "Hmmm…can't be. No tattoo." He said, then looked over at the ring. Alex was standing smiling, her long dress tied around her waist to keep it from getting damaged. At her feet was a man that Van had seen in the pub often enough. The mage laughed to himself at the sight of Alex manhandling a big guy like him.

Suddenly, Van was alert when the white wolf laying in front of him jumped to its paws and spun around growling. Alex had also turned quickly in the direction the canine was growling. Suddenly, the creature let out an earsplitting howl that sent the beach into silence.

Everyone turned and stared at the beast. Then, the ground shook. Van looked off into the darkness for any sign of what was making the tremor. Then another shook the ground. Van's eyes widened in horror. "N...No!" he shouted as he saw two gigantic hulking forms walk towards them. They were tall, bulky, had small beady eyes, and were made completely of ice. "Alex!" he shouted and she nodded, then ran towards the weapon shop where the weapons were held for the celebration.

People ran screaming from the sands as the snow trolls lumbered towards the town. Van ran forward and attempted to draw them away from the buildings. Cara and the other heroes stood behind him, but they all knew how dangerous trolls where. "Cara, stall them for me!" he shouted and she nodded. Completing very quick hand movements, she caused the ground under the trolls to turn black. The two giant beasts began to sink into the ground, making them claw at the surface of the sand in an attempt to get out. They sunk until their legs disappeared, then the darkness vanished.

Van ran forward, his hands alight with fireballs, then dove into the air. He slammed into the trolls face like a meteor, throwing the two magic attacks into its face at point blank range, causing it to scream in agony before swatting him away and covering its damaged face. Alex had grabbed her bow and quiver, then ran outside when Van smashed into her and they both lay stunned in the snow. Alex recovered and pulled her bowstring back, then let the projectile fly. The arrow hit the trolls shoulder, immediately destroying its shoulder and causing its arm to fall off.

Van rose again and smirked. "Time to finally put this spell to use." He said as he ran at the damaged troll. Jumping into the air again he slammed his fist into the trolls forehead. It seemed as if nothing happened, but the troll screeched in pain until finally it burst into flames and ice. He lit a fireball and turned to the other troll, only to be sent flying again as the other beast punched him.

He flew and crashed through the wall of the weapon shop, the magic still flaming in his hand. Cara yelled for him, then turned back to the troll and glared. She placed her hands with their palms facing each other in front of her chest. A black ball of magic appeared and she vanished. She appeared above the crowd and the town itself. Raising the black ball above her head, she yelled and released the power of the magic. Hundreds of dark energy charges flew from the flux ball and smashed into the beast, causing an explosion that tore the remaining troll to pieces.

Van ran out of the weapon shop and was about to yell, but was halted as an explosion from within the shop sent him flying again. He landed on his knees and rose again as weapons thudded into the sand. He sighed and smiled as Cara appeared in front of him in a cloud of black smoke. "Nice shooting with the meteors." He said playfully. She smirked and shoved him.

"It's a new attacked that I have been working on in my spare time. And I couldn't attack from the ground incase one of them missed and hit the lighthouse." She said. He nodded. "What happened in the shop?" she asked him looking at the smoking building.

"Aye…when the troll smashed me into their, I landed next to an open gunpowder keg. My fireball touched it and it was instant blaze. I barely got out in time." He said holding the back of his head.

Suddenly, his instincts piqued and he felt his hair raise. He grabbed Cara and dove out of the way as a ball of white energy flew and skimmed them both. They landed in the sand and got to their feet. A large figure dressed in thick armor stomped towards them. "What is that?" asked the girl.

"A…A…summoner…" said Van growling.

The man stood with his face shrouded from them all by the wolfskin. He looked next to him where a sword from the shop landed wrapped his hand around the handle. The blade was thick and heavy, but he picked it up as if it were made of wood. Holding it at his side, he remembered his countless battles and ran forward.

Van saw him run past them and towards the creature. "No! Don't you fool!" he shouted and ran after the warrior. But Drake was fast, even with the giant weapon in his hand, he outran the mage. The man looked up and saw giant balls of white energy flying towards him. When he dodged to the left and right, it was as if he phased liked a ghost. The energy hit the ground and stopped Van in his tracks, blinding him with light. When he could see again, he looked up and his eyes widened.

Drake dove at the creature, shoving the blade under its thick helmet then twisting it sharply. It's head rolled off its back and fell to the ground. Out of the helmet tumbled the skull of a giant, lifeless sockets replaced by glowing energy. Van ran forward and yelled, "It's not dead!" Drake turned back to the creatures body just as it took a swipe with its sword. He barely ducked in time, the blade ripping the wolf skin from his head. Van stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the man without the mask.

Drake growled and ran forward again. His sword was like lightning as it dug under the army and tore the body to pieces. The summoner roared loudly as it was decapitated, but when the warrior finished, he raised his fist into the air and smashed it down in the center of the pile. A pillar of fire erupted strait up into the air and incinerated the remains, leaving just the armor and the skull of the creature.

Van walked forward and slammed his foot down onto the cranium, crushing it and killing the creature. He looked up again at the warrior in front of him. Drake turned around and glared at the mage. "We finally found you…" said the hero.


	3. A Warrior Returns

OoO( 3 )OoO

The warrior stood in the cold air with the snow falling around him, the smoldering fire next to him dwindling to nothing. The mage stared at him with a smile as they watched each other. Walking forward, the hero approached his old friend, the sent him to the ground stunned, as he struck him across the face. Shaking his head, the warrior moved the hair from his face, then got to his feet and threw a punch back, sending the mage rolling through the snow.

People from the village cheered and ran towards the two. When they saw the man standing, they all gasped. The most surprised was Alex. She fell to her knees as she saw the face of the man before her. He stood tall and strong, his body as if it were etched from stone. His white hair blended with the snow as it blew loosely in the wind. His face showed piercing blue eyes and three scars across his cheek.

The mage rose again and glared at the man. "Do you realize how long we have been looking for you?" he asked in a deadly tone.

"Even longer if it hadn't been for that creature." he said as he turned his back and started to walk away. Suddenly, a lightning bolt hit the ground at his feet, sending snow flying. He stopped as he heard the tone again.

"Don't turn your back on me you coward." said the mage. Lyle turned around and glared again. "You think you can just run away from something and make it go away?" he asked still holding a glowing hand aimed at the former hero. Lyle walked slowly forward and took Van's hand, then put it to his chest.

"If you are going to hit me, then do it. Don't make empty threats." he said as he stared his old friends in the eyes. Van smirked, then Lyle flew back, his body alive with electricity. He flexed and spasmed on the ground before the weaker spell wore off. Getting to his feet, he furiously looked at the mage. "You actually hit me!" he shouted.

Van shrugged carelessly. "I don't like to make empty threats." he said with a smirk. His smirk faded as the former hero dove onto the mage and began to grapple with him. The crowd laughed loudly as the two wrestled each other down to the ground. Even the heroes from the guild were cheering them on like in the old days.

OoOoO

"What happened to your tattoo?" asked Van as he stared at Lyle's chest where there used to be a dragon design imprinted into his skin.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer to that question?" asked the warrior as he ate from a bowl of stew. Van nodded and Lyle stood. "Ever heard of a 'Cleansing' of the body?" he asked.

"It sounds vaguely familiar, but enlighten me. " said the mage as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's a ritual where you clean your body of anything and everything that poisons it, or shouldn't be there in the first place. It's used by the shamans of the native tribes running around Albion . It's where they take a blade, and cut out anything that shouldn't belong in the human body, such as tattoos or body disfigurations for example. They cut it out, while applying healing magic at the same time to make sure your body doesn't get even more disfigured by the act." he said leaning over the table and smirking at the shocked look on Van's face.

"That sounds really painful..." he said as he leaned forward also.

"It was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life." he said, then looked at the wall. "Well, physical pain anyway. But it got rid of that god defying tattoo." he said.

"Why did you get rid of it? It gave you the power to summon something that hasn't been seen in almost a millennia." asked the mage.

"No, that demon gave me the power. The tattoo was my promise to my father to kill Jack. It only brought that...thing...into existence and nearly destroyed the world. I got my revenge on Jack and there was no reason for me to keep it. All it was was a reminder of two friends and a father that I lost to that bastard..." he said as he glared down at the table.

Van flinched slightly when he realized that he had to tell Lyle that Jack was alive. "Ummmm...Lyle?" he said, causing the warrior to look up at his friend. "About that..."

Suddenly, the door swung open and Alex stood in the door, staring at him through tear stained eyes. He spun around and looked at her, but as soon as he did, he felt a dagger of sadness sink into his heart. "Alex..." he said as she walked towards him. He saw it coming, but he did nothing to move. His face stung as her hand slapped him. Keeping his eyes to the floor, he felt her staring at him.

Alex glared at him through her tear drenched eyes, her own hand slightly stinging from the slap she gave him. Finally, she broke and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"That's a good question actually...where were you? We searched all over Albion for you and couldn't find you anywhere." asked Van from his chair.

Lyle didn't even look at Van as he said, "And you couldn't even find me when I was in front of you. So how could you expect to find me in an entire country?" he asked. Van opened his mouth to retort, but closed it.

"You are right. That wolfskin was a good disguise. But what I mean, is after you left what happened?" he asked.

"That's a tale for later..." said Lyle as he hugged Alex back, then released her. "But right now I believe you had something to tell me. " he said looking at the mage. Van looked at him questioningly. "You were about to tell me something about my revenge on Jack when Alex came in. What was it?" he asked him impatiently.

"Oh...yes..." said Van as he looked at Alex. Alex nodded and left the house. Van stood and stared at Lyle. "Lyle, Jack isn't dead." he said staring into the hero's eyes. Lyle merely stared at him as if in disbelief.

"I saw his body torn to shreds. I did it with my own hands! How can he not be dead!?" shouted Lyle.

"We don't know, but your sister had another dream. She said that if he hasn't already emerged again, then he will soon." he said.

"Where?" asked Lyle, now gripping the table roughly.

"The only thing that we can confirm at this moment is that it's not in Albion . We believe we know the location but aren't positive on it." he said. Lyle was about to ask another question, but was cut off. "It's a village called Snowspire. It's the center of numerous temples and shrines from the time of Archon's rule. It was his fortress, and now we believe that some cult somewhere over there is trying to revive Jack." he said.

Lyle punched the thick table in anger. "Dammit!" he shouted.

"Lyle! Get ahold of yourself!" shouted Van and hit him over the head. Lyle stared at him a moment before grabbing his collar and dragging him across the table.

OoOoO

All anybody heard outside the house was slamming and breaking furniture. When the two heroes finally came out, they were both covered in bruises and laughing. The site of the two friends back together cheered the entire city up. Everyone was walking by happily, greeting Lyle with polite nods and handshakes. They walked to the cullis gate and headed back to the guild with Alex, Cara, Aerika, and Elizabeth following them.

When they arrived, they immediately ran into the guildmaster in the map room. He looked up and a look of shock appeared on his face, which turned to delight at seeing Lyle in his presence again, then into horror at the condition he was in. "Good heavens! What happened to you? You look like you got pounded by a troll!" said the guildmaster as he gave his assistant a wave, and telling them to summon the healers.

"Not quite as strong, but twice as ugly." said Lyle, causing the group to laugh. Van gave Lyle a shove as he smirked at the insult. Lyle walked forward into the light of the room and looked down at the map. It showed the shore of a sea, with a city inland of the water. The city was surrounded by many ruins and graveyards.

"It's Snowspire. We have a contact from the guild over there named Scythe. He is a seer in his own way, and also says that he feels Jack's evil rising again." said Van.

"You told Lyle already?" asked the guildmaster. Van nodded, and he smiled. "Good, that saves time. We had a hunch that Jack had his source of power somewhere in Snowspire, however it was prophecized that you would defeat him before we discovered it. So we stopped looking." said the older man.

Lyle stared at the location on the map. "How will we find it?" he asked.

"I have seen the place. I will guide you there." said a voice behind them. Lyle stood up straight, his eyes wide as he heard the voice of his sister. Turning around, he looked at her. She wore white robes with gold trim, her sword still attached to her hip. Lyle stared at her. She was beautiful. Her white hair fell to her shoulders, the white cloth tied across her eyes and her young features placed perfectly.

"Sis..." he said.

"Don't worry Lyle, I understand why you had to leave. So no need to explain." she said, smiling as she heard a sigh of relief from the warrior. "As I was saying, I will be your guide to the tomb where he waits." She said.

A guild apprentice suddenly approached the group with an urgent expression. He leaned towards the guild master and whispered in his ear. "Oh my…" said the older man. Everyone looked at him as the apprentice left. "It seems that the mayors youngest son has been kidnapped…" he said worriedly. "Thunder has requested someone from the guild to come and help with the investigation."

Van spoke up first. "Can't you send another hero? Or perhaps a senior apprentice?" he asked.

"Normally I would, but if Thunder himself is asking for assistance then it tells me that the mission is beyond the capabilities of a junior member of the guild." Said the guildmaster.

"I'll do it." Everybody in the room looked at Lyle. "It's been a while since I've had to use a sword. I could do with some practice before I try and take on Jack again." He said. The guildmaster nodded as Lyle pulled the sword from Hook Coast in front of him.

OoOoO

The sun was falling from the sky in Knothole Glade as the giant of a man sat in the house with the mayor. His foot was jittering up and down in impatience. "Sir, I don't see why we have to rely on someone from the guild! I am perfectly capable of getting rid of the people who are threatening your son."

The man shook his head. "Thunder, you and I are old friends. I know from experience that you are capable of handling the bandits, but what worries me is your aggressiveness might get my son injured or worse." He said as he took a tiny cup from his servant and drank the tea from it. "He is the future of this city, and I can't have him harmed in any way…" he continued, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Thunder stood immediately and said, "I'll get it. No telling who might be at the door…" he said and the mayor nodded. The dark knight walked over to the door and pulled on the ring, then swiftly held his sword up to block the attack of another swinging sword. The blade on the sword was very large, causing Thunder to be pushed back a few feet. The mayor, thinking it was an assassin dove behind a table.

Thunder got his grip on the floor back and halted the assault. Looking at the attacker, he gasped. "L…Lyle?" he asked. Lyle smirked and the dropped blades.

"Nice block there Thunder. Almost had you though, should work on that." He said as he held his hand up. Thunder smirked at the warrior and took his hand, then jerked him forward, headbutting him and sending him backwards stunned.

"Let your guard down. Maybe you should work on that." He said amused. Lyle shook his head then stood up laughing. "Good to see you again farmboy. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever crawl out of the hole you were in." he said, actually shaking his hand this time.

Lyle scratched his head and laughed. "Well, technically I didn't crawl, I was kinda dragged. But that aside, it actually feels good to be back." He said, then looked over at the man peeking at them from behind an overturned table. "Is he alright?" he asked.

Thunder turned around, then signaled for the mayor to come out of hiding. The man stumbled out into the open and walked, with what dignity he had left towards them. "Ahem. I am the mayor of this town. And you are Lyle the Saber I presume." He said holding his hand out to the ex hero.

Lyle shook his head. "No, its just Lyle."

"More like Lyle the Glave with that monster on your back." Said Thunder, earning him a glare from the warrior. He chuckled. "Sorry, back to business. You are the one who took the quest from the guild?" he asked and Lyle nodded. "Good. We will need experience on this mission. The mayors son, Michael, has been kidnapped by bandits. We haven't found the other son either, but the only one confirmed was the youngest. He is being held in captivity by a group of bandits, a rather organized group if you ask me…" he said as he briefed the hero.

Lyle nodded. "Alright. And its my job to return your son in one piece?" he asked. The mayor nodded.

"Yes, offer them the gold in trade for my son. That's what they asked for, so they'll have no reason to harm him will they?" asked the man worriedly. Lyle looked at Thunder, who looked back at the warrior. They nodded to each other, knowing that offering the gold was out of the question.

"Where is the gold?" asked the white haired warrior.

"It's in a cart out back. The city guards are tending it, making sure nobody steals from the cart." Said the mayor as he sat down again.

Lyle quickly looked at Thunder. "And who is tending them?" he asked. Thunder and Lyle ran outside into the darkness and around the corner of the house. Lyle stopped and laughed expectantly. Three of the guards were out cold on the ground and the cart was missing. The wheel impressions led to the front of the city. "Looks like some of your city guards didn't think they were getting paid enough." Said the warrior.

The mayor fell to his knees. "How will we get my son back now?" he asked in shock.

"Don't worry mayor, I'll get your gold and your son back before morning." He said, then looked up at Thunder. "You coming?" he asked, knowing the man couldn't resist.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss this for the world." Said the dark knight as they began following the tracks together...


	4. New Trials

OoO( 4 )OoO

The rain fell heavily as the two walked the trail left behind in the mud. The rain couldn't have made it any more obvious where the cart was leading, with two sunken wheel tracks going down the path as if they were torchlights.

"So, you know where they are?" asked Thunder.  
Lyle nodded as the rain ran down his face. "I do. I went on a quest for Maze to find that man, the Archeologist. We found him inside a hidden cave that was sealed by magic..." he said, wiping water out of his eyes.

"You think these guys are strong enough in magic to open it?" asked the large man.

Lyle shook his head. "I doubt it. Me and Maria found a group of stones that acted as a locking system, similar to the lock of a door." he said, getting a strange look from Thunder. "When you insert a key into a lock, you turn it and it has a specific design that fits directly into the contraption, allowing it to be unlocked. Any variation from that size or shape of the key and it won't fit into the design."  
"I see, and if the door was sealed by magic, then you are saying that these 'keystones' required a specific spell in order to unlock it." said Thunder, catching on to Lyle's explanation.

The warrior nodded and continued. "And the more complicated locks, those of the higher security areas nowadays, have more than one key, that you have to use in succession. Once you unlock with one key, you have to use the next until finally the door unlocks. This specific lock required three different spells, each given by a clue left on the stones."

"So, if you think this was too difficult for them to maneuver, then how did they get into this cave?" asked Thunder.

"Well, when we left the cave, we never closed the door. And imagine yourself as a kidnapper in this weather, would you be holding onto a squirming possibly rebellious hostage in the rain? Or would you find shelter from the rain and hold bound in a corner with only one entrance leading out?" asked Lyle.

"I see. So, using this you think they are in that cave?" asked Thunder as the rain bounced off his helmet.

Lyle laughed for a moment before continuing. "That, and this trail is leading strait for the cave."

"I guess that would give you a clue. So, what is the plan?" he asked, slightly amused.

"There is only one plan that will work in this situation. They have the gold, and the hostage now, which means that the likelyhood of the boy being alive has dropped considerably." he said as he placed his hand on the new handle, squeezing it and getting a feel for it.  
"So, if they are still there then the plan is to take everyone out and ask questions later?" asked the man with a smirk. Lyle nodded. Thunder cracked his knuckles inside the metal gauntlets. "My favorite kind of plan..." he said.

"Wait..." said Lyle as he squinted slightly. "You've gotta be kidding me." said the warrior as he shielded his eyes from the rain.

Thunder slid his visor up so he could see better. "What is it? Do you see something?" asked the man.

Lyle laughed to himself. "I do. Lets go, and be as quiet as you can." he said as he drew his weapon.

OoOoO

The cart sat in the rain, a large cloak draped from the cart to the ground, with three guards packed under it. The rain fell heavy, making the path a mud trap, and making the forest droop as it received its nourishment.

"Hey, get your elbow out of my side!" shouted one of the guards.  
"I can't help it! This shelter is tiny!" said another of the men under the cloak.

"'Ow bout I kick you both out of 'ere? It's my cloak!" said the third of the disgruntled men.

"Why'd it have to rain? This cart feels like a horse is sitting on it. There is no way we can pull it during this storm!" growled the first guard.

"Shut yur trap. Try and get some rest while its pourin' out there.

We'll continue again when it lightens up."

"Are you sure they won't send someone after us when they find the cart gone?" asked one of them.

The third guard in the group glared at him. "Would you send anyone out in this weather? And sides, with this kind of rain it will be near impossible to follow us. Our trail has probably been wiped clean." he said sighing. "We better get a good share of this."

Suddenly, all three were alerted to the sound of a branch snapping nearby. The all drew their weapons and stepped out into the rain, looking around for the noise.

"It's good you aren't real guards. Having someone as stupid as you guarding a city would be a shame." said a voice behind them. They all spun around and saw Lyle standing on top of the cart.

The guard with the crossbow raised it and aimed at the warrior, only to be brought down with the heavy thud of Thunder's broad sword. The others turned and looked at the giant man standing behind them. They were now surrounded. One of the guards raised his weapon to attack Thunder when he fell to the ground unconscious, his body convulsing with electricity.

Thunder sheathed his sword at his side as the last guard looked at his fallen comrade. Grabbing the man, he smashed his head against the wooden cart, rendering him sensless before silencing him with an earth shattering punch to the jaw.

Lyle jumped down and looked at the three guards out of commission. "That...was too easy..." he said amused. "If this is any sign of the future I wouldn't be surprised to see the kid dragging the rest of them back and throwing them in the prison." he said, making

Thunder chuckle. "Cummon, lets get this thing down to the cave. We still have work to do." he said.

OoOoO

The man stared out into the rain as his men again complained about their situation. "Damn rain. How are we supposed to make an escape with the cart if the forest floods?" asked one of the men.

"Don't worry about it. We can keep the kid as insurance to make sure we make it out without being attacked." said another.

"Oh, right. And when the mayor finds out that we took his gold an his kid, he surely won't send an army of heroes after us to get them back." said the first, irritated at the stupidity of his partner.

"Oy...shut yer mouth. Least I'm thinkin' of somthin stead of just sittin there like a tick on a balverine!" said the bandit angrily.

"All of you shut your gobs!" shouted the leader as he spun around with his sword ready. "If I hear one more of your yaps open before the cart gets here then I'll personally carve a permanet smile on your face!"

"Boss!" shouted a man from the entrance of the cave.

"What!?" he shouted angrily.

"Uhh...sorry boss. Thought you ought to know the cart is coming down the path." said the bandit, cowering back into his post.

"Oh...well done." he said glaring at the rest of them before turning and going back to the entrance. He spied it as it was being pulled down the path. "That isn't one of our men is it?" he asked, noticing Lyle pulling the cart down the path.

"Fraid I've never seen him before boss." said the watchman as he stared out as well. "He is wearing armor, maybe he's a mercenary that wants to be part of the plan."

The leader looked at the man stupidly before sighing. "I'm working with idiots..." he said. "It's a hero. He is here to either make the exchange or to take us out. So have your weapons ready." he said. Him and his men filed out of the cave and surrounded the cart. Lyle looked at them and smiled.

"Good day gentlemen." said Lyle as he stopped the cart. He crossed his arms and looked at the one which was obviously the leader. "Where is the boy?" he asked.

"You do not command me. I want to see the gold first!" he said pointing at the hero.

Lyle smirked. "Forgive me, but I will be the one giving orders. With or without a weapon, I could kill you all. So lets keep this civil and you show me the boy." he said smiling.

The man growled and drew his sword. "Thats enough from you! That gold is mine, and I'll take it from your corpse if I have to!" he shouted. Turning to his men, he grunted, "Kill him!" The bandits drew their weapons high and charged toward the hero, who bore a very dark smile.

OoOoO

Michael had been beaten slightly and roughly hauled into the cave by the men. His head was still a little cloudy, and he shook his head when the men left the cave. Suddenly, his eyes went wide as he heard loud screams from outside. Bright lights formed from magic were cast over the wall, causing him to jerk at his chains on his wrists and legs.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw a dark figure in the doorway. He yanked his chains faster and harder as the figure approached. It was no use. The gag in his mouth wouldn't let him yell, and the figure stood towering over him. He closed his eyes tightly as the figure descended on him and grabbed him around the throat.


	5. A Hero Born

OoO( 5 )OoO

Michael stood staring in awe at the sword in front of him. "It's huge..." he said with admiration. Lyle smirked at him.

"It was a gift from a friend." he said as he watched the kid eat the food he had given him. "So, Micheal, what is it that you want to do when you get older?" he asked curiously, his eyes scanning the child, noting that his skin was dark like Thunder's.

"Well, my dad wants me to take over the town after he retires...but to be honest I don't really want to. I've always wanted to be a hero." he said taking another bite from an apple. He looked up at Lyle.

"It's not all fun in the life of a hero, believe me." said Lyle as he layed back and waited for Thunder.

"I know. But its not something I want to do for fame..." said the boy, getting Lyle's attention. "I've had dreams about it. I've dreamt about fighting bad guys and saving lives. I dream that I am a warrior who slays dragons and beasts of all kinds. In one dream, I fought a dragon and slew it!" he said with excitement.

Lyle was intrigued. "And what did you do to slay him?" he asked, knowing that the boy was enjoying telling the story.

"Well, he was attacking a town and I ran in and challenged him. But, a dragon is big. We battled through the town, and did a lot of damage. But finally, I drew my weapon and stabbed it into the dragon. I fell off of him and I remember seeing a bright flash of light, then he was gone." said the boy. "My sword fell and there was cheering. I just know that being a hero is what I was meant to do." he said.

"That's a foolish dream..." said a voice from the entrance of the cave. "But it doesn't matter, because father made you heir anyway. You are obligated to become mayor." Lyle got to his feet and grabbed the sword handle. "No need for dramatics hero." said the voice again as the figure appeared in the light of the fire. It was another child, but unlike Michael, this one was light skinned, as Lyle was.

"Lucas...what are you doing here?" asked Michael as he stood to his feet.

The older boy laughed. "It's funny. You aren't even our blood, but our father would still make you the mayor of the town. It's disgraceful." said the teenager. "So I decided to take the matter into my hands. I hired people to take him out, but they got too greedy. They decided to ransom him instead."

The look on the boys face was horrified. "What...you sent those men to kill me!?" shouted Michael.

"And now I offer you the same deal hero. Kill my brother and you will have all the gold in the cart, plus double what I was going to pay those bloody bandits." said Lucas.

Lyle's expression didn't change for a while. Then he smiled. Walking over to Michael, he whispered something in his ear, then stood back again. Michael nodded, then took one of the bandits weapons from the floor. "Take a weapon brother..." he said with a glare.

OoOoO

It has started raining outside very heavily as Van, Alex, and Briar Rose looked over the map in Maze's quarters by firelight. Rain pelted the window as their eyes trained on the surface of the parchment. "Okay, these maps are pretty old, but they say that Snowspire is about a month by ship across the sea...."

"That's quite a ways away..." said Rose as she looked at the vast gap of ocean between the two islands. "What do you think this is?" she asked, pointing to a drawing of a ring of mist around the Island of the North, where Snowspire lay.

"I don't know...but whatever it is, it doesn't look too inviting." said Alex as she looked at the inscription underneath the drawing. "This here...its in Old Kingdom..." she said.

"Well, that helps considering none of use read old kingdom." sighed Van as he fell back into Maze's chair. He suddenly jerked back up as something jabbed him in the back. "Ah! What the hell!?" he shouted rubbing the sore spot on his back. Turning to the chair, he dug inside and pulled out a small book. On the cover was some ancient runic mark that meant nothing to the mage. "What is this?" he asked and opened the book.

Briar crossed her arms as she looked at the table. "So, we need a ship, a crew, possible weapons on the ship incase of pirates..."

"No, there will be enough heroes on that ship the scare any pirate off..." said Alex. "Especially if they know who is onboard." she giggled at the thought of Lyle getting loose onto a pirates ship.

"Right...anything else aside from rations for the galley?" asked the hero. Alex shook her head. "What about you Van?" she asked. But he was deep into the book. "What are you reading?" she asked irritated at him ignoring her.

Finally he came to and looked at Rose. "It's Maze's journal...he took notes hoping that when he died, someone would find it." he said smirking. "Look at this! It's practically telling us what we need to do right here!" he said handing it over.

Alex took the book and looked at the text, then nodded. "It does, it says we need a ship, and the...fireheart?" she asked looking up at Van. "What is that?" she asked.

The mage shrugged. "I've only vaguely heard of it in the older books of the guild. It says that the fireheart is used to ward off darkness and mystery." he said.

Alex skipped through the book until she came across a very elaborate drawing labeled, "The Weapon". Turning the page she began to read.

OoOoO

Thunder had heard every word of what Lucas had to say. He walked into the tunnel and stopped just short of the cave entrance. His eyes widened when he heard Michael, the boy he saw grow up challenge his brother. "Take a weapon brother..." said the boy as the dark knight listened. The older boy had a stunned look on his face.

"What?" he asked, surprised at his brothers actions.

"I said pick a weapon. You and me are going to handle this right here." he said. Lucas, though still stunned, picked up a sword similar to Michaels. "Alright. This ends now. I've taken your insults and your beatings long enough..."

The older boy shrugged. "No hard feelings, just business." he said with a smirk.

"Now, you want to have me killed, then do it yourself." he said. Still stunned, Lucas didn't expect the attack. Michael lunged forward and they clashed blades, forcing the older boy against a wall. The younger brother sent a knee straight into the gut of his brother.

Lucas gasped, and stumbled away, only managing to barely block another attack before being sent to the ground and disarmed. Michael sighed and tossed his weapon aside.

"Pathetic...you think this proves anything?" asked the boy.

"It proves that you tried to kill your brother, and failed horribly. And also, that you don't even have the strength to defend yourself. You are nothing but a coward." said Lyle as he approached the boy. "Now get up. I'm taking you back to your father so he can deal with you himself."

"You think my father will believe the words of some hero? No...he won't believe you over me. I'll be free by tomorrow because there is only one persons words he trusts more than mine." he said triumphantly.

"You mean mine?" said Thunder from the dark. Lucas heard the voice and instantly went pale. "I heard everything Lucas, and to think that you would kill your own brother for something so selfish makes me sick." said the hero as he jerked the boy to his feet. "Lets go...its already dark and we have ground to cover." he said to Lyle. Taking Lucas by the arm, he led him outside and tied his hands inside the cart.

OoOoO

"It seems that Maze was hunting for a weapon. Some kind of ancient weapon used in the old kingdom." said the guildmaster as he read from the book. "Maze's writing is very cryptic, but its here alright. And it seems that only someone who is pure of heart can use the weapon, or even find it for that matter. I guess Maze just wasn't pure enough. When he failed to find it, he turned all his attention on training Lyle."

"So, where is this weapon. Surely you must know, you are the guildmaster and all." said Briar Rose anxiously.

He looked at her oddly. "My dear girl, do you think that I would have withheld a weapon when Jack had found the sword? If I knew anything about it, I would have sought it out as soon as we found out Jack was after the sword." he said. Briar Rose sighed.

Alex then spoke as she rubbed her chin, deep in thought with her elbow in her other hand. "So, we now have two items to find. This fireheart, and now a weapon from the Old Kingdom. This means we will probably have to split up." she said. "Van, you and Rose try and find out as much as you can on the fireheart. I'm going to look more into this ancient weapon." said the archer as she looked up at her friend.

Van stood stiff at attention and saluted. "Yes ma'am." he said then ran off, causing Alex to giggle more. Briar chased after Van as Alex turned to the guildmaster.

"Pardon, but do you mind helping me out a little?" she asked. He shook his head.

"It would be my pleasure Alex. What can I do?" he asked her curiously.

"Well, in the diary, it says that only the pure of heart can find the weapon. The first clue to finding the weapon was given to Maze by someone a long time ago and he wrote it down here. It goes 'In a place that turns knowledge into power, seek out he who holds the blooming flower'." she said. "What do you make of it?"

"Well, a place that turns knowledge into power..." he said thinking. "I would say that the thing that turns knowledge into power is a book. A book itself is knowledge, but by itself its nothing more than paper. What turns knowledge into power is someone reading the book." he said. "At least...I think..."

She nodded with a smile. "Sounds logical to me. So, off to the library." she said with excitement. "We will defeat Jack again, I know we will..." she said as she ran towards the library.


	6. Relic Hunt

OoO( 6 )OoO

Alex sat in the library scanning books on gardening for hours. She became frustrated with her failed attempt to find the meaning behind the riddle. She turned the pages of a book, skipping past the sections on the tree and shrub life of the forests, and even a page saying that an earth troll could be considered a plant due to its lack of brain power. She went to the flower section of the book and repeated the second line again, as she had many times before.

"Seek out he who holds the blooming flower..." she said, scanning the pages for a 'Blooming Flower'. But there was no such entry in the books. Closing the book roughly, she leaned back in her chair and sighed as she kicked her feet onto the table. Then, realizing she was beginning to mimic one of Van's bad habits, she dropped her feet to the floor giggling slightly at the thought.

A young apprentice walked by her and sat at her table, looking at her. She looked back at him and smiled. He was scrawny, to put it lightly. His face was thin and pale, and his body was very frail. She figured he would most likely become a teacher, or at the very most a mage. "Hi..." she said smiling at the boy. He blushed furiously, and tried to hide it with the book he had chosen. She looked at the cover and saw the fine ink print on the cover. 'The Guild of Heroes'.

"Is that an interesting book?" she asked him as he hid his face. Peeking out from behind the book, he nodded.

"Y...Yes..." he said as he slowly laid the book on the table. "It's about the history of the guild..." he said.

"Oh really? You mean it has all the previous guildmasters, and all the hero exploits and everything?" she asked, moving closer so she could see. The boys tempurature began to rise as the gorgeous woman moved closer to him.

"Y...Yes..." he said nervously. "Everything that has ever happened since this guild has been built is recorded in here. This is an older version, so the recent happenings of Jack haven't been added yet, but it has up until the burning of Oakvale." he said, becoming less nervous. Alex looked at him and smiled when she figured it out. The more he talked about books, the less nervous he became. So she persisted.

"Oh really, tell me about the guildmasters. What were they like?" she asked curiously, scooting her chair closer.

"Well....the first was a man by the name of Solus. He was a great mage that saved Albion from a great disaster. After he saved Albion, he began to wander the country and do his best to help people. He became very well known. So well known, that he began to have followers. Eventually, they stopped on top of a giant hill overlooking Lookout Point and decided to build a fortress to help people. The followers kept coming and coming until finally, the guild was constructed and christened by the sign on the door, the Phoenix." he said happily, looking to the book for anything he might have missed.

"The second was only a florist named Wellow. He wasn't really a hero in any way, but he did help people in many ways. Mostly by creating different vaccines and cures for many of the poisons found in the world. Did you know that before he created a vaccine, anybody stung by a forest wasp would die? Now though, it has circulated and hardly anyone dies from them." he said. Alex perked at the sound of this one.

"A florist you say..." she asked. "Did he like flowers?"

The boy nodded eagerly. "He had a whole garden of them. In fact, he is shown in a painting at the far end of the library holding his favorite flower." said the boy pointing towards the far end of the hall. She looked at where he was pointing and immediately ran. She saw the painting as she approached. The man had a very caring look about him. He had a genuine smile on his face, with long black hair to his shoulders. In his hand, he held a rose that had barely begun to bloom.

The hero frantically looked around, then grabbed a nearby chair. Setting it under the large portrait, she stepped up onto it and pulled the bottom of the painting away from the wall. A small scroll parchment fell from the hiding spot and hit the floor. She put the painting back and stepped down from the seat, grabbing the parchment and unrolling it.

_Go to the island of magic, and peer through the moving curtain._

She stared at the parchment for a moment before smiling. Walking over to the boy, she kissed him on the head and walked out of the library, leaving him stunned as if he had been hit by lightning.

OoOoO

Van and Briar Rose sat in his house, staring at the old drawings of the fireheart, making it look like some ancient rock with runes on it. The most they could get out of any of the books was that it was some magic stone that shunned darkness and created a path for those who were lost.

"So far, we haven't learned anything on where this stone is at all. It could be anywhere!" sighed Briar Rose.

"Well, what we learned from the diary, we have to find the four prophets in order to get the fireheart. But it doesn't even tell us where we should look. Just says 'The answer will come to you.' Whatever thats supposed to mean..." Van said as he sat in the chair. Then, out of nowhere, he felt a sudden tingling in the base of his neck. "What the..." he said as he rubbed the spot.

Rose looked at him. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Not sure...just..this wierd feeling..." he said. He stood up, and immediately he was ripped from his house into a pit of darkness. He stood in an abysmal cavern, with nothing but darkness for miles around. "W...Where am I?" he asked as he looked around.

_"Where you are isn't the question." _said a voice behind him. Van spun around and aimed his hands at the voice. It was a man, very tall and thin. He wore black robes, emblazened with magic symbols down the front and back of them. His face was hidden behind a black cloth mask that was tightly wrapped around his face, most likely to conceal the scars and wounds he had gotten from battle. In one hand, he held a can made of dark wood, with a single gemstone at the top. _"I'm afraid your magic won't work here." _said the man in a sinister tone.

Van looked at his hands. It was true, for some reason, he wasn't able to summon lightning. Looking up at the man, he clenched his fist. "Who are you?" he asked.

_"My name is Scythe." _he said, and Van dropped his fists.

"Scythe, as in Scythe from Snowspire?" he asked curiously.

_"Indeed. And you are Vangard, am I right?" _he asked, already knowing the answer. Van nodded, and he continued. _"Maze told me that you would be the one I entrust with my knowledge now." _he said.

"Knowledge of what?" asked Van curiously. "And why did Maze tell you that? How does he know you?"

Scythe smirked slightly, warping the mask on his face. _"Me and Maze were friends since we both started in the guild so many years ago. I have information for you and the one known as Lyle. Are you prepared to listen?" _he asked. Van nodded immediately. _"First, I am to tell you that Jack is being ressurected as we speak...but you already know this thanks to the hero's sister..." _he said._ "So, I am to help you where I can. You intend to come to Snowspire, am I correct?" _he asked.

Van nodded. "Yes, we have figured most of the things we need, but now we are stuck. Using the maps from Maze's library, we have concluded that getting to Snowspire isn't going to be some vacation sunny trip across the sea."

Scythe laughed silently. _"Indeed."_

"From the maps we can assume that some barrier is in the way. And we need this fireheart to clear the path again. But, we don't know where to find it. We don't even have a clue." he said frustrated.

_"That's because Maze didn't even know where it was. All he knew was what I told him." _he said. Van looked up at him.

"Does that mean you do know where it is?" he asked.

_"Indeed it does. But I need to know that I can trust you Van. Maze was a very good friend of mine, but I couldn't trust him. He was too deep in with Jack. I need to know that you can be trusted with what I am about to tell you..." _he said in a mystical tone.

Van nodded. "I have been a hero for a long time, and never once have I betrayed one of my friends. Anything and everything you give me, I can promise will be used with just and honorable intent." he said.

_"Very good. Use whatever you need of this knowledge to stop Jack of Blades again, for I won't be able to hold him back much longer." _said the dark hero.

Van looked up at him, then nodded. Scythe placed a hand on Van's head, making his eyes widen as information, visions, places, people, relics, events, and many many more thoughts flashed through his mind.

OoOoO

"Van! Van wake up!" shouted Rose as she shook his unconscious body. He didn't respond however. Healers from Bowerstone came into the house to see what had happened, when finally his eyes flew open and he shot to his feet, scaring them all. Briar Rose glared at him and beat his chest. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" she shouted.

"I know where to find it..." he said, then ran out of the house.


	7. The Apprentice

OoO( 7 )OoO

The sun over Knothole Glade was bright after the storm had passed, shining its golden rays down onto the natural village. It gleamed off of the gold as the precious metal moved on top of a cart in the front gate and up to hill towards the mayors house. The white haired hero pulled on the cart as the dark knight behind him helped to push it up the hill until finally it sat outside the mayors house.

The mayor was sitting outside in his favorite chair, his foot impatiently tapping on the ground. He had waited all night for his sons return, but niether of the heroes had come back. When he finally saw the cart come up the hill with Michael sitting on the top of it, he immediately launched himself out of his chair and ran to them.

"Michael! You're alright!" he shouted as Thunder held him back from climbing onto the cart with him. The boy jumped down and his father immediately grabbed him and hugged him. Turning to the heroes, he looked at them. "What about Lucas, did you find him as well?" he asked.

Thunder nodded. "We did." he said, pulling the kid from the back of the cart and tossing him on the ground, still bound by leather straps.

The mayor knelt down to his son, then looked up at the heroes. "What is the meaning of this? Why is he still tied up?" asked the man.

"This is the one responsible for the kidnap of your other son." said Thunder. "He hired those bandits to kill Michael because you were going to leave him as your heir instead." said the hero.

The mayor looked at his son with his eyes wide in surprise. "You...you tried to have your brother killed?" he asked.

Lucas growled. "He is not my brother!" he shouted at his father.

The mayors face twisted in anger and he backhanded the boy. "How dare you!" he yelled. "He is every bit as much your brother as I am your father!" he shouted.

"That's enough of that." said Thunder as he got between the two. "What do you want done with him?" he asked.

"Put him in the town jail for now. When my temper cools and I have a more level head I will figure out what to do with him then." he said and walked away.

Lyle approached the man and put his hand on his shoulder. "Sir, I have something to ask you." he said.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Well, when we were back in the cave..." he said, looking around to make sure Michael was far enough away. "Lucas said something about Michael not being of the same blood. Was this true?" he asked.

The mayor sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Come with me please." he said. Lyle followed the man into his house, where they closed the door. "What you heard is true. It happened years ago. A woman from the village was at the beach when she saw another woman in the sand. When she approached, the woman was holding a child. However, the woman had already passed away. It seemed she was in some sort of shipwreck and made it to shore, but never made it to a village. So, the village girl took the child and brought him to me. Lucas was very young at this time, and I didn't think he would have known, but I guess I was wrong." he said. "I raised Michael since he was a newborn and the woman was given a funeral."

"Does Michael know about this?" asked the hero.

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I always meant to tell him, but..." he said sighing. "I never had the heart." he said. Lyle nodded and looked at the ground.

"I have a favor I want to ask." he said.

The mayor looked up at him. "What is it?"

"I want to take Michael with me and train him as a hero." said Lyle.

The mayor's eyes widened briefly, then he looked at the ground. "I'm afraid thats not possible. Michael is going to be the future mayor of this city, and now that Lucas has shown his true colors, it can be nobody else." he said.

"You are not set to retire for a long time now. Correct?" asked the hero. The man looked at him, then nodded. "Well, think about it like this. Michael will be prone to all kinda of events similar to those that happened yesterday as long as he is going to be the future mayor. He will be the target of many kidnappings, many assassination attempts, and other things as well." he said, and the mayor lowered his head, knowing the hero was right. "If I take him with me now, then not only will he be constantly surrounded by heroes able to protect him from such attacks, but when you are ready to retire, he will already be strong and able enough to defend himself, and his family. He will be a fine mayor one day, but until then, I would like to take him with me, and train him, so that when the day comes that he does become mayor, he will be able to do so without the worry of doing it defensless." he said.

The mayor looked at him. Then thought for a moment. "Surely the gold he receives as a hero could help the town expand as well..." he said, getting an approving nod from Lyle. Thinking a bit more, he finally caved. "Alright hero. You win. Michael can go with you. But please be sure to keep him safe." he said as he walked towards the door.

Lyle smiled and nodded. "I will protect him with my life." he said, then followed the man out.

OoOoO

That night, Lyle left Knothole Glade with an excited Michael behind him. The village had celebrated the boys return, and also his departure to become a hero. Lyle was rather surprised by the boys reaction. When he was told, Michael didn't squeal happily or jump up and down out of excitement like most new recruits. He merely smiled at Lyle. The hero knew what that look meant. Michael had been honored greatly.

When the festivities were over, Lyle packed his things and took Michael with him. Though he wasn't as soft footed as his father, the boy was still relatively unused to the mountains that needed to be travelled in order to get back to the guild. When they finally arrived, the boy was out of breath and worn out.

After giving him his old room, Lyle let him sleep and walked downstairs. He ran into the guildmaster, who was staring at the map table, as he usually did. But this time was strange, he was actually looking for something. Hearing Lyle approach, he looked up and was surprised at first, then sighed and smiled.

"My boy, I'm afraid I'm still not used to having you around. I am surprised every time I see you." Said the older man. Lyle smiled gently.

"Sorry to worry you guys. I just had to sort my own self out before I came back…and then I kinda got used to my new life." He said, remembering how he was immediately accepted into his new family. Looking up at the guildmaster, it was as if Lyle spoke without words.

The guildmaster nodded. "We have accepted the troupe here. They await your visit in the courtyard. They have become quite popular here." Said the man. Lyle nodded.

"Thank you. I guess I owe them some explanation…" he said as he walked by. Then he stopped momentarily. "Oh…and thank you for watching over my family." He said, then walked out into the courtyard.

The guildmaster smirked to himself. "As if Scarlet Robe and Theresa needed my watching over. Even without her sight, that girl is deadlier than most of the guild. And Scarlet is a hero by blood. There is nobody in that bloodline that needs to be watched over." He said, then went back to staring at the map.

OoOoO

Heroes and apprentices were gathered around the melee ring, watching as the troupe put on another play for the crowd. At the moment, two men were sword fighting, dressed as warriors from a foreign land, with red armor and helmets with disfigured faces. They used curved blades that were sharp only on one side, similar to the one Lyle had used a long time ago.

A maiden stood nearby, dressed in a long flowing gown that was also foreign. It had a wide belt that covered her entire waist, as well as long sagging sleeves and a tail. The girl stood by as if terrified that the two men were fighting, her dark hair covering part of her face. The hero sat and watched as the act went on.

"How dare you try to take her from me you fiend!" shouted one as he struck out with his blade, grazing the others armor.

"She is mine now!" yelled the other before giving an evil sounding laugh. Lyle smirked. He had seen the play many times. He looked over near the prop barrel and saw his old mask laying on the ground. Walking over to the barrel, he took his upper armor off, leaving him bare chested, then donned the wolf hood and drew a sword from the barrel. Climbing the wall, he dove at the others.

"Beware! The Wolf King is here!" shouted one man, dressed as a dead villager. The crowd laughed as the man then resumed to play dead. At his entrance, the normal pace of music played on a strange stringed instrument suddenly got violent. Landing next to the others, Lyle held his sword up at them both.

The girls face suddenly brightened as she saw the new addition to the play. "Drake…" she said silently to herself. Then, remembering she was acting, she squealed in terror. "Oh no! Don't let him take me away!" she shouted. The other two turned to him growling.

"You will not have my daughter!" shouted one of the men.

"Nor mine!" shouted the other, causing laughter in the crowd again.

"She will be my sacrifice! And you will hand her over now!" shouted the hero. The men ran and attacked him, only to swipe at air as he rolled across the ground, right back onto his feet. He swung the flat of his dull sword across both of their backsides, causing them to yelp in pain and dance around in circles.

The crowd roared with laughter as Lyle ran back and forth, swatting at them like they were animals, causing more yelping and howling. Finally, he threw his sword over his shoulders and smiled. "I will take my prize now." He said and turned around, where the girl was standing. She pulled her leg back let out a kick that soared between his legs. The entire crowd gasped in horror as the large man dropped his sword and fell over, his legs crossed and whimpering. The girl snorted. Again the dead man lifted his head and yelled, "All hail! The Wolf King is defeated!"

The crowd laughed loudly as all the actors rose again and bowed deeply. Lyle smiled at the feeling. He might actually have a life like this when all this hero business was over. The men and other actors who had not played in the act gathered the coins that were thrown at them from the crowd. Lyle however, walked over to the girl, who smiled up at him with her beautiful features. She was also foreign, like Talon. Her slightly slanted almond shaped eyes and long dark hair made her stand out from the regulars of Albion.

"Drake. I was starting to miss you." She said silently. He smiled at her and took her hand.

"Lets go somewhere where we can talk." He said and he pulled her away from the crowd. Taking her to his favorite spot in the guild, he opened the stone door and sat with her inside.

"Why must we talk alone?" she asked curiously.

He turned to her and sat down across from her. "There is something I have to show you." He said as he lit the candle on the table, lighting the dormant room up. She looked at him with a smile, obviously curious what he had to show. He reached up and took off his hood, causing her to gasp with surprise. In all his time with them, they had never seen his face because he wanted to keep it hidden. The reason was unknown to them, but they did not question him.

She stared at him in awe. She had thought he wanted to hide it because his face was hideously deformed from battle. She had never imagined he would look like this. Getting to her feet, she walked over to him and let her hands examine his face and hair. "You are…" she said, stumbling on her words for a moment. "Nothing like I imagined." She said.

"Is that good or bad?" he asked curiously.

She giggled slightly. "Good actually…I thought you were hiding scars or some injury you suffered. I had never thought you would look like this…" she said, still examining him.

"Kiko, can I have my face back?" he asked, amused at her amazed curiosity. She giggled again, then sat down.

"Why have you shown me now?" she asked, still staring at his features. "All this time and you decide to show me now? Why?" she asked.

He leaned back and brushed his hair back. "I've been in hiding." He said. She looked at him worriedly. "You see, I am a member of this guild. I'm a hero."

She gasped. "Drake, you are a hero?" she asked. Then she smiled. "Well, to be honest I could see it in you. You always played the bad guy, but I know that you would never be like that." She said.

"And…my name isn't Drake." He said. She nodded, not surprised that he used a fake name. "I go by Lyle." He said, waiting to hear her reaction.

Her eyes lit up briefly, then she looked at the table. "Lyle the Saber then?" she asked, and he nodded. "And I guess you tell me all this because you are going back to being a hero now…" she said again.

His heart seemed to be in pain to have to tell her. "I…I am. Something has come up and they need my help. If not, then who knows what would happen…" he said, but was cut off.

"I understand. Here in Albion, word gets around fast. I keep hearing rumors about someone thought to be dead, coming back. The people speak of the end of times if he does." She said, still not taking her eyes off the table. "I just hope you don't forget about us…" she said.

He stood to his feet and walked over to her, then cupped her face in his hands. Smiling, he said, "I could never forget you. Not in a hundred years. Now, smile, before you bring rain down." He said. She did as he said and smiled, then leapt up and hugged him.

"Just be sure to stay safe Lyle…" she said.

"Don't worry, I've killed him once, I can do it again." He said as he hugged her back. "Now, lets get you back to the group before they think you slipped and fell in the river." He said, making her laugh.

"Alright, lets go." She said, and together they walked out into the sunshine again.


	8. The Weapon and the Fireheart

OoO( 8 )OoO

Finally, she had finally reached the last clue. Alex stared at the parchment she had written the clue on and contemplated while walking towards the guild.

_You will find what you seek, in the place of a heroes rebirth._

_Ask for what you desire in front of the nameless hero._

She kept running it through her mind. "Place of heroes rebirth..." she said to herself. "Does he mean the sacred chamber? Thats where apprentices are deemed full heroes, but that is a birth, not a rebirth." she said. Suddenly, she looked up and her face lit up when she saw the hero walking towards her. Lyle was walking with a group of people, the ones she had seen with him at Hook Coast.

At the moment, he was laughing and talking with two of the guys. Finally, the hero looked up and noticed her. Smiling, he ran to her. "Alex, there you are." he said stopping in front of her. "The guildmaster said you ran off into the woods. Was something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head, getting fidgety in front of him. "Umm...no. I was just looking for something..." she said, unused to having him around again. She was starting to feel like when she had first met Lyle. The feeling of butterflies, of laughing too much at something that wasn't funny, and of the blood rising into her face. He smiled at her and lifted her chin.

"I'm glad to see you again, really." he said. She smiled back at him and took her hand over his, pressing it to her cheek.

"Me too..." she said finally. Then, remembering her quest, she took the book and opened it. "Hey, do you know what the place of a heroes rebirth is?" she asked. Lyle looked at her in surprise, then thought about it. His eyes opened suddenly as he remembered his past conversation with his father.

_"When humans die, they are reborn as guardians of the living. I was reborn to watch over you, your mother, and your sister. And some day, you will be reborn after your death to watch over those you love. It's the reward of those with noble hearts."  
_

"Actually...I do." he said. Alex grabbed him and began shaking him.

"Where! I must know!" she shouted wide eyed. Then she let him go and turned slightly red. "Sorry...its just really important." she said.

He laughed lightly at how excited she was. "It's a cemetary. It's believed that when humans die, they are reborn as guardians of the living. So the place of rebirth for heroes would be the guild cemetary." he said. She smiled at him. Grabbing his head, she pulled him down to her and kissed him. He was taken completely by surprise. Grabbing his hand, she began pulling him along with her.

"Come with me!" she said. Lyle stumbled after her, waving goodbye to his previous company.

OoOoO

Van stared at the horizon as the sun began to rise for the day. A crowd of people was watching as he stood staring at a cliff wall in Lookout Point, as well as Briar Rose. The statue behind him, the creator of the guild held his sword high. The sun rose higher and he crouched as if ready to run. Finally, when he knew the sun was in the right position, he immediately sprinted forward, the time around him slowing to nearly a halt at his power. He ran straight for the cliff face, when suddenly the sun reached the tip of the sword and a dark doorway appeared in the stone.

To the eyes of the civilians, Van had vanished into thin air. A gasp arose from all their mouths as they stood astonished. Rose stood with her mouth gaping, then walked forward and patted the wall. "Where did he go?" she asked.

When Van burst through the other side of the doorway, he was surprised to find himself inside a large chamber. He was standing on a platform that seemed to be floating inside some dark abyssmal room. Surrounding the small island where five crystal shaped tombs, holding cloaked figures each surrounded by darkfalls. He looked around at the hooded figures trapped inside the crystals. "What is this place?" he asked. Suddenly, to his surprise someone responded.

_"This is the Chamber of the Sages." _said a voice. Van looked around at the men in the crystals around him. _"If you have entered this chamber, then you seek the fireheart."_

"Yes…I am looking for the fireheart." Said Van. "I have come here at the request of Scythe. Where can I find it?" he asked.

"_It won't be that easy hero. You must take the pass the trial in order to get the fireheart." _Said one of the sages.

Van sighed. "I didn't think it would be so easy…" he said. Standing straight, he glared. "Fine. What do I have to do?" he asked.

"_You must complete the puzzle…" _said one of the sages. As soon as he finished talking, the floor under the mage lit up. _"You see suns and moons. You must match all of the tiles as one. But you must choose wisely, because either the sun, or the moon will lead to your death." _Said the voice in a mocking tone.

Van looked at them surprised. "Scythe didn't say anything about this…" he said to himself. "Fine, I have to get the fireheart if we want to stop Jack…" he said.

"_So be it. Finish the puzzle hero. And make your choice." _Said another voice. Van became surrounded by darkness and the tiles appeared in front of his face, though smaller than usual. He touched one of them with the moon on it and it flipped over to the sun. All four of the tiles surrounding it changed into the opposites of what they were, as well as the tiles on the floor.

"Great…" he said sighing. "What did I get myself into this time…?" he asked, then began to concentrate on the puzzle. Choosing between the two, he decided to change them all to suns.

OoOoO

"The nameless soldier…" said Lyle as he stood in front of a tomb with no name. There were tombs on either side of it, both with the names of Agrias the Paladin and Rokjon. Lyle moved forward and pushed to door in. It slowly creaked forward, allowing light into the darkness. Shadows scattered as the sunlight pierced the emptiness.

Alex followed him in and looked forward into the tomb. There was a statue in the center of the tomb with rows of soldiers on either side of him. They approached and looked at him. Lyle gasped as he immediately recognized the statue. "What is it?" asked Alex.

"It's…Avo…" he said looking at the armor and helmet that were trademark to the legendary warrior. He looked down at the statues hand, seeing a large sword held there. But it wasn't made of stone as the statue was. It's handle was ivory white with intricate carvings down the hilt. Lyle reached forward and took the blade from his hand and held it in front of his face, admiring the blade.

"Hmmm…" he said as he looked at the metal closely.

"What's wrong? Is that it?" asked Alex as she approached. Lyle took the end of the blade in one hand and the handle in the other, the snapped the metal over his knee. Alex gasped in horror. "Lyle! Why did you do that!?" she shouted at him.

"If this was a legendary weapon, it wouldn't have broke." He said as he looked down at the handle. The blade parts fell from his hand and from the hilt. He sighed. "It looks like we can't rely on the weapon…" he said as he walked past Alex, handing her the weapons now empty hilt with a disappointed look on his face. He made it to the door of the tomb when he stopped, hearing Alex gasp behind him.

He turned around and his eyes widened at what he saw. The hilt of the weapon began to morph and change shape. Two long arching shafts appeared from the top and bottom of the weapon, forming a bow shaped weapon with the symbol of the gods on the hand guard of the hilt. He stared in awe as the simple handle changed into a giant ivory bow with a silver cord going from the tip of one arch to the next.

Alex stared at the new holy weapon with shock in her eyes. She lifted it in her hand and felt it was light as a feather. Pulling the string back, an arrow appeared on the cord, made of a dark hardened wood with a silver tip and feathery tail.

Lyle walked back over to Alex and stared at it with her. She released the arrow and it was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room and followed the arrow. It flew and flew, never to be seen again. "How…?" asked Alex as she stared at it once more.

Lyle held out his hand. "Let me see it…" he said, and the girl handed him the weapon. Almost immediately after it left her hand, it changed back into the sword handle that Lyle had pulled from the statue. He examined it thoroughly before asking, "Why doesn't it work for me?"

"Only the pure of heart may find the weapon…" she said. Lyle looked up at her questioningly. "We found Maze's journal in his room, which led us to find the weapon here. He also wrote that only the pure hearted could find it." She said. Lyle looked at the weapon again, then handed it to her. The transformation took place once more and the hero was once again holding the large ivory bow.

Lyle smirked. "I guess it likes you better." He said amused. "Well, in anycase, we found the weapon that you were looking for. What else was there to find?" he asked.

"Van and Briar Rose are looking for something called the fireheart. It supposedly is the only thing that can get us to Snowspire, where Jack is to be reborn." She said. Lyle was about to question her when he was cut off. "We don't know how it will help, but Maze's journal also said that it was required for the journey." She said, putting the bow to her side, where it transformed back into the sword hilt. "We should go find Van." She said. Lyle agreed, and together they left the tomb, locking it again and heading back for the guild.

OoOoO

Briar Rose stood outside the cliff face with Van. She watched as he looked at the position of the sun. Suddenly, Van crouched, then vanished from sight. Rose gasped, then ran to the cliff face he had been looking at. "Where did he go?" she asked. Then, she was alerted as Lyle and Alex ran up behind her.

"Rose!" shouted Lyle as he approached. She turned and looked at him, then glared.

"Well well, if it isn't the great Lyle the Saber." She said. "Or should I say Lyle the Jester?" she asked with a smug look.

The hero smirked and countered her remark. "Listen Grim Rose, at least I only acted like a fool, and wasn't born one." He said. This stung her and she reached for her sword. Lyle raised his hands. "Hey, I wasn't serious, take it easy…" he said, causing her to cross her arms. "Do you know where Van is?" he asked.

She sighed. "Honestly, no. He was standing here a moment ago, then he just vanished." She said. Looking at the hero, she laughed at the stupid look on his face. "Believe me, I am just as confused as you are." She said amused at him.

"How could he just vanish?" he asked.

"Not sure, but he did. He said he was told by some spook named Scythe that the fireheart was here. Gone batty if you know what I mean." She said elbowing the hero.

"Not as batty as you'd think." Said a voice behind them. They all turned to see a triumphant smirking Van, and in his hand was a ruby the size of an apple that was glowing red as blood.


	9. Training Day

OoO( 9 )OoO

The guild was quiet as the two walked the soundless corridors, causing echos of armored and padded footsteps to echo off the walls. Lyle walked heavily towards the armory as the boy followed him, eager to begin his lessons. The warrior stepped inside the massive room, every inch of the wall covered in weapons of all kinds. Swords, daggers, spears, bows, maces, chains, whips, knives, gauntlets, axes, hammers, and many other kinds of weapons completely covered the stone wall behind them.

Michael stared, awestruck at the sight of the weapons. "Your first lesson of being a hero..." he said as he walked over next to the wall and stood. "You must have a weapon." he said.

"Which do I pick?" asked the young boy, excited about having his own weapon.

"You don't." said the warrior. Michael looked at him confusedly. "You do not choose which weapon you wield. It chooses you." he said. Looking at the wall, he scanned them all, letting his eyes wash over the sea of blades. Looking them over, he came to stare at one weapon in particular. Reaching up, he lifted a spear from the wall and hefted it.

Lyle smiled. "How does it feel?" he asked him.

"It's heavy...I won't be able to swing it very well..." said the boy as he held it. "But it feels like I've held it before. Like I was meant to." he said.

"Good, that's just what we are looking for." said the warrior. "But for now, you will be using this." he said, then took the spear, setting it on the wall and handing him a thinner, much lighter wooden spear. "You will use this until you get used to using the weapon, then we can start training with the real thing. Alright?" he asked.

The boy nodded, staring at the wooden one. "This is worn down a lot. Has someone used it before?" he asked.

"Yes...a very close friend of mine used that when she lived here. We both trained from about your age." he said.

Michael looked at him, then back at the spear. "This was Whisper's, right?"

Lyle, taken by surprise, looked shocked. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I heard about the Arena. I have wanted to be a hero since I could walk. So any stories about heroes that came through the taverns I listened to closely." he said. Lyle nodded understanding. Michael then smiled. "You were actually my favorite hero when I was younger." he said.

Lyle smirked. "Is that right? Well, don't think I'll take it light on you because you have good taste." he said sarcastically. "Now, lets start your training. Come out to the melee circle with me." he said. Nodding, he followed the warrior, grasping the wooden spear firmly in his hands.

OoOoO

Outside the sun shone bright over the battle circle. Michael stood holding the spear in two hands while another apprentice holding a wooden sword stood across from him. The white haired warrior thought for a moment, then smirked. Now he just needed Thunder over his shoulder yelling at the boy and the scene would be set. It was as if time was replaying itself.

"Remember, he has a little more experience with a sword than you have with your weapon, so don't worry if you lose." said Lyle. Suddenly, the guildmaster walked up and stood next to Lyle with a smile.

"Using positive reinforcement I see." said the older man.

Lyle nodded. "I think I'll leave Thunder's teaching method for when I fight Jack. Who knows, I might hurt his feelings." he said, causing the guildmaster to chuckle out loud. "He was a good teacher though. However, I prefer to do things the way I learned." he said, remembering the care that Elizabeth had put into teaching him alchemy, and how Alex taught him to use a bow. "I haven't had much experience with a spear, but I'm sure he will take to it like Whisper did."

Nodding, the older man smiled. "Indeed. She was a fine warrior. The two of you together were near unstoppable. I fear that any hero in the guild at that time would have lost if you two had double teamed them." he said.

Michael started the match by thrusting forward. The young apprentice smacked the wooden spear aside with his wooden blade, then swung at him in a parry. A shocked look covered the faces of everyone watching when Michael bent backwards at an insane angle, keeping himself propped up by one hand. The sword missed, and the boy flipped back onto his feet.

Lyle smiled in awe at the sight. "It seems Thunder gave him some encouragement after all." he said. Michael swung his spear at the boy, who blocked, but took a blow to the arm due to the force of the attack. Backing up, the boy started to strafe and stare at the young warrior, looking for an opening. He found one when Michael went to attack him, and he ducked under the spear thrust then struck out, jabbing the tip of the sword into the boys stomach.

Groaning from the blow, Michael held the sore spot on his stomach as Lyle called him over. "Sorry...I didn't expect him to attack from so low..." he said. Lyle smiled and set his hand on the boys head.

"No worries. You did your best, which is a lot better than I thought it would be." he said. "Did Thunder teach you that?"

Michael nodded. "Some of it yes. He taught me a little self defense and martial arts, but only enough to defend myself from the other kids and my brother. He said that he wouldn't teach me more because my father wouldn't allow me to be a hero." he said. "The rest I taught myself...or tried to anyway."

"You did very good. Better than I did when I first started." he said, making the boy look up at him. "Cummon, now that I know your strengths, lets start working on your weaknesses."

"My weaknesses?" asked the boy.

"Yes. You can never get rid of weakness. But a man can make himself infinitely more powerful by knowing what his weakness is." said the warrior as he walked with the boy away from the ring. Ahead, he saw his friend, the mage walking towards him. "And when you find others weaknesses..." he said smirked and cracking his knuckles. "Always use them to your advantage..." he finished. Michael looked up at him, taking the knowledge in, when suddenly the two came face to face and attacked each other.

The boy stood staring at the two as they broke out and were surrounded again by fans and gamblers yelling and passing gold. He smiled as he saw the smiles on the two guys faces as they beat each other senseless. "I guess that's what real brothers do." he said smiling to himself and watched in interest.

OoOoO

"Wow...I think I got rusty while you were gone." said Van as he stretched his aching arm. Lyle flexed lightly, proud of finally beating the mage in a wrestling match. "Don't get cocky. It was a one time thing." Said the mage, smirking at Lyle's proud demeanor.

"Right then. You let me know when you are ready for a rematch." Said the warrior.

"Don't I always." Asked his friend. Turning to the boy, he smiled and held out his hand. "Hey, I'm…"

"Van, the Chaos." Said Michael excitedly.

"Chaos? That's what they are calling me?" he asked amused.

"They said its because every time you fight, you use magic that people haven't seen before. You were even said to have helped create the ability to stop time with will power."

Van stared at him dumbly for a moment, then looked at Lyle. "Where do they come up with this?" he asked, then shook the boys hand. "You can just call me Van. I'm the headmaster and alchemy teacher here at the guild. I take it you will be one of my new students?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not…" said Lyle. Van looked up at him questioningly. "I will be training him myself. Not as a part of the guild." He said.

"Why is that?" asked the mage.

Lyle looked at Van for a moment, then turned to Michael. "Hey, are you hungry?" he asked. The boy nodded. "Go through that door and talk to the guy across the counter. Tell him that I sent you." He said and the boy nodded and ran off. Turning back to Van, he sat down. "When I rescued him back in Witchwood, we were talking and I saw something in him. I can't really tell what it was, but I know I saw something familiar in the way he spoke to me."

"But you realize that not being trained by the guild means that he is not held to the code of honor accustomed to the guild, and that he cannot graduate and receive the guild seal." Asked the warrior.

Lyle nodded. "I stopped using the guild seal after what happened to Alex. Look how I turned out." Said Lyle. Van nodded in acknowledgment. "Besides, I want to teach him in an environment where there is no competition. I don't want him to feel inferior or superior to others he grows up around. I know that I had that problem when I first graduated. I showed a lot of attitude and disregard for those around me. All that mattered was the next quest." He said.

Van smiled. "That's true, but a little competition is healthy, don't you think?" he asked shoving the warrior.

Lyle laughed, knowing that Van was talking about their constant guild grudge matches. "Well, know that I will only be training him alone. He will still be a member of the community here. I would just like to try this one myself. After all, I've never really put any effort into anyone except myself. Maybe its time that I start thinking about someone else." He said.

Van stared at the warrior stupidly before reaching forward and punching him in the face. Lyle yelled angrily and glared at him. "What the hell did you do that for!?" he shouted.

"I was making sure this wasn't a dream…" said the mage.

"You are supposed to hit yourself to find out it's a dream!" yelled the warrior.

"I think our hero finally grew a heart." Said Van, smirking at Lyle. Lyle was about to jump on the mage and make him suffer in round two, but thought the better of it and just smiked.

"I guess you are right." He said shrugging.

"Speaking of hearts, the ship to Snowspire will be ready in a few days. We of course couldn't manage to get a barge or merchant ship to take us there. Everyone is scared to death of the mist there for some reason and won't even talk about the place. So I had to gather some gold together and buy a ship." He said rather irritated.

"Ouch…how much are you out?" asked Lyle.

"Doesn't matter. We needed something to get to the island, and now we do. It will be finished and loaded in about two days. We are all meeting in Hook Coast at that time."

Lyle nodded. "I'll be there." He said, then stared up at the sky.


	10. The Journey Begins

OoO( 10 )OoO

It had been sitting in the harbors, getting loaded and ready for the long journey ahead. Finally, it was fully stocked with supplies and rigging, and waiting to be sailed off into the vast sea. Heroes and sailors stood on the docks at Hook Coast, looking at the large vessel. The main headpiece was a dark dragon, its hardened wooden scales carved out of the ships hull as it reared its head as if ready to strike at the nearest moving thing.

Lyle turned to Van and smiled. "She's beautiful..." he said. "Who did you buy it off of?" he asked.

The mage smiled. "There was an older seaman who died on this ship. He loved it a lot, then passed it to his son after he died. His son however is a regent lord, one of the highest seats in Albion's aristocracy, and can't be weighed down by such things as a common sailing ship. So, he marketed it off. I actually got it from him real cheap." he said, getting a confused look from Lyle. "He said he was going to sell it to me for three times the amount. But I took a page out of your book and dug up a lot of dirt on him." he said, making Lyle laugh loudly.

"Bet he changed his song real quick then didn't he?" asked the warrior.

Van nodded, then sighed. "It's amazing how such great people can give birth to such scum..." he said. "Lord Grey was an amazing man, and a great hero. He did great deeds for his country, yet his daughter would kill her sister in order to get her hands on the title of mayor." he said. Lyle agreed with him.

"I know. I can only hope when I finally decide to have kids, that one of them doesn't end up turning into Albion's destruction." he said. "In any case, are we ready to go?" he asked.

Van nodded again. "Yes, its fully stocked and ready to be shipped at any moment. Now it just has to be christened." he said thinking. Lyle thought about it for a moment as well. Then, as if they both had the same idea, they looked at each other and nodded. "She will be named Maria." he said.

OoOoO

The sea air was cool and blowing as the ship finally set sail from the harbor in Hook Coast. Lyle stood at the front of the ship staring out at the vast expanse of water with Michael standing next to him.

"Have you ever been out of Albion before?" asked the young boy.

Lyle shook his head. "No. All this time and I've never even considered what could be out here." He said. "Who knows what we will find."

"Well, finally on our way." Said the mage as he walked up to the him. "It will be a few months before we close in on the island, so get some rest." He said. Lyle smirked, then looked at the boy next to him.

"Are we going to rest?" he asked. Michael seemingly copied Lyle's famous smirk.

"Nope. Rest is only a weakness." He said, making the hero smile widely.

OoOoO

He stood sweating, eyeing his opponent. He couldn't get through his defenses, no matter how hard he fought or how fast he moved, the hero was always one step ahead. The man stood in front of him, his long dark flowing hair to his shoulders. He had a cloth tied over one eye like a headband for reasons unknown, as well as dark armor with a large sword over his shoulder. The heroes black cloak billowed in the wind as he stood, unfazed by the attacks.

The man stood up, his simple light leather armor making it easy to maneuver, but still not good enough to break the heroes guard. He started to swing the chain in circles, the heavy spiked ball on the end of it whistling as it bit the wind. He ran forward and hurled the weapon through the air, then grabbed a small dagger at his side and threw it, trying to catch the man off guard with two weapons.

The chain flew and the hero drew his sword swishing it through the air and catching the chain as it came within inches of his face, making it wrap around his weapon and lock on the hilt. He moved aside and dodged the knife, leaving the man standing vulnerable. "Uh oh…" said the stunned man.

The dark haired hero smirked. "Indeed." He said, then jerked on the sword, causing the chain to whip the guy into the air, still being attached to his arm. Flying forward, the man gasped loudly as he was stopped dead by the heroes palm in his chest. He released the long chain of his weapon and rolled over on the ground trying to get his breath back.

"That is enough." Said a specter-like voice from behind them. "You are skilled Zerga, but you still aren't a match for Ark here." Said the man as he approached the competitors wearing long black flowing robes.

"But Scythe, how am I ever going to help defeat Jack if I'm not even able to win a simple exhibition with a hero?" asked the man.

"Everyone helps in their own way. I have been told by Van that they have set sail and will be arriving within the month. They have the greatest heroes in Albion on that ship, so we will have all the help we could desire with this matter." Said the wizard.

"I hope its enough to stop Jack. I regret not having a shot at him when he was alive before…" said Ark, the dark haired hero.

"I'm afraid that there was much more than just Jack to worry about at that time Ark. I fear that even you wouldn't have been able to defeat what almost swallowed our world." Said Scythe.

"Yet a child 5 years younger can defeat him? What power does he hold that Ark doesn't?" asked Zerga as he rose from the ground.

"It's not about what power he had and didn't have. It's a matter of fate. Lyle was meant to defeat Jack and the demon that followed because it was his task to do. It's not about who is more powerful, its because Lyle's could not be fought by anyone else. This monster, in a way was a part of him, and only he could defeat it." He said.

"I still don't understand…" said the young man.

"You will one day Zerga. Until that time, you must continue to train and become stronger so that you may fulfill what you were meant to do." He said, getting an understanding nod.

"That's whats wrong with the world these days…" said Ark as he turned away, his large sword across his back again. "People no longer care about what they were meant to do and are now concerned with what they want. The government, the aristocracy of the world…perhaps Jack would not have gotten as powerful as he did if humans would stop being the harbor of greed." He said.

"Wise words. The world may actually be a better place if we cared about each other as we did each others wallets. In any case, when Lyle arrives, I would like you to be the first to test him in battle Ark. After all, you are his...." Said the wizard.

Ark looked down at the ground and cut off the man. "As you wish master Scythe." He said, then walked away into the swirls of snow on the wind.


	11. Smooth Sailing

OoO( 11 )OoO

It had been weeks since they had left Albion's shore. They sailed storm after storm, but the ship held fast and plowed through any obstacle that swelled towards it. It truly was a dragon of the sea. Van stood at the prow of the ship, dressed in seafaring clothes of sailor. One of his leather boots was up on a small barrel of wine that he was drinking from.

Elizabeth, wearing a large coat and similar boots, walked out to greet him. She walked up and stood next to him, getting an arm wrapped around her. The mage pulled her closer and kissed her cheek as they both watched the horizon being pulled towards them by the ship beneath their feet.

"It really is beautiful…" said the woman. Van nodded.

"Indeed it is. It's almost a shame it has to end." He said. Taking his tankard of wine, he took another swig. He almost choked as he heard the call from the crows nest.

"Pirates ho!" shouted the voice. The acting captain, a large man with a strong resemblance to a lion, yelled back to the nest.

"Whereabouts!?" he shouted.

"Southeast to current position and gaining speed! It'll be minutes before they are upon us!" shouted the man.

Van ran up to the man and shouted, "Captain Nemo, what are we to do? Pirates have cannons. They can reach us before our magic can reach them!" he said agitatedly.

Nemo smirked. "We keep on the move. If we keep moving, their cannons will be ineffective until they get within range of your fancy hero tricks. Now get to the bow and give me a good readin' on how fast they are going." He said.

Van nodded, then took off for the rear of the ship. About this time, Lyle ran to the captain. "Sir, we need to talk." He said.

Captain Nemo looked at the warrior. "What is it? We haven't time for idle chatter."

"I think we should stop the ship." He said. The man looked at him bewildered.

"Have you lost your mind lad? If we stop we come within range of their cannons! They'll blow us to the Old Kingdom and back again!" He yelled, getting most of the crews attention.

Lyle smiled and shook his head. "No they won't." he said. "I know from personal experience that bandits…or pirates in this case, won't do anything if they can't profit from it." He said getting the captains attention. "They will only fire if we fire on them, or after they have left. They will wait until they have seen if there is anything worth stealing from the ship before sinking it, I promise you." Said the warrior.

The captain scratched his beard in thought. "So what are we to do?" he asked.

"We slow the ship, act like we haven't noticed them. We are all dressed like sailors, so they won't know it's a ship full of heroes until they come aboard and get what's coming to them." He said, slamming his fist into his palm.

Nemo smiled. "You got a head on you kid." He said, then looked around at the crew who still stood staring at the two. "What in hell do you think yur lookin' at!? Didn't ya hear the man!? Get to work!" he shouted, causing the crew to scatter like birds.

Alex came up with her weapon attached behind her, still in its dormant state. "What are we doing?" she asked, also dressed in regular sailor regalia.

Lyle turned to her and smiled. "We are luring them in, then striking hard." He said. "Which is why I need you to be captain for a few minutes." He said, turning to Nemo. The older man was going to question the order, when it hit him.

He smiled and bowed, "Milady, you have control over this ship." He said, handing her the captain signifying hat. She smirked, then put the hat on her head.

"As you wish." She said.

OoOoO

"This looks like a good one mates." Said the man at the prow of the ship as he stared at the slow moving vessel ahead of them. His crew laughed loudly and continued to push the craft forward until it was speeding alongside the other. Grappling hooks were thrown across the gap, latching onto the smaller ship and pulling it closer until they rested side by side with a loud _thunk!_

The captain of the pirates jumped off his ship and held his saber up at all the crew who were surprised to see the man. "Where is your leader? I demand to see him!" shouted the man in a rather high pitched voice.

Alex walked from the cabin and stepped in front of the man. "I am the captain. What is it you want with this ship?" she asked. The man looked at her stunned. He said nothing for minutes as his eyes looked her up and down.

Finally, he found the words he was looking for. "But…But you are a woman…" he said.

She growled furiously at him. "And a better captain than you any day!" she shouted. The man looked at her and smiled.

"Of course. I was just thinkin' of asking you to join me on my ship." He said.

She glared at him. "What's in it for me?" she asked. Van snuck back towards the rear of the ship and untied one of the ropes as Lyle and several other heroes climbed the nets silently, disguised by the distraction Alex was providing. Every eye on the other ship was nailed to her.

"Madam, what is it?" asked Elizabeth as she came from the cabin and approached Alex. "The treasure was all there I…oh my!" she said surprised as she saw the visitors they had. "Milady, what is this?" she asked, hiding a smile very well.

"So many beautiful ladies on this ship…" said the pirate captain. "How would you gals like to come and join me aboard my ship? We can clean the seas of treasure together!" he said, thinking not only of having two gorgeous women aboard his ship but also the combining of the treasures. "You may keep control of your ship as well as keep three fourths of the treasure you find." He said, confident that his offer was too good to pass up.

Alex thought for a moment then smiled. She saw the signal from the crows nest. "What do you think boys?" she asked. All the crew roared loudly a battle cry before chaos broke loose on the two ships. The pirates drew their blades too late as Alex grabbed the captain between the legs. "Take these treasures with you…" she said, then spun and backhanded him in the back of his head, sending him sailing over the railing and into the water.

Fire flew like a tidal wave and incinerated the pirate ships sails. Lyle and the heroes on the top of the ship cheered as their fireballs tore the sails apart and sent crimson rain down upon the pirate crew. Van jumped from his position on the back of the ship and sailed out over the water holding tightly onto the rope in his grasp. He swung around quickly as the pirates jumped onto the smaller ship. His momentum carried him between the two ships, where he unleashed a hellish bolt of lightning that ate through the wood like paper.

Containers of gunpowder in the ship were lit and exploded on impact from the lightning, tearing holes all across the ships hull. Van climbed back up the rope and jumped onto the deck of the ship to join the battle. Alex had drawn her new weapon and pulled the string back. She released the arrow that appeared on the string, making it fly like a missile past the crew and disintegrating the wooden mast of the other ship. It creaked loudly and groaned until finally it snapped and fell over into the sea. The bandits didn't stand a chance against the heroes.

One of the sailing bandits tried to take a swing at Elizabeth. His sword stopped in midair, then shattered. He stood stunned for a moment before a massive lightning bolt sent him unconscious tumbling onto the other ship. Lyle took his large blade and cut the grappling hooks holding the two ships together, causing the pirate ship to drift slowly away and begin to sink. The entire crew cheered as they sailed away from the wreckage with over a score of pirates at their mercy.

Lyle smirked and looked at Alex. "Well, what should we do with them captain?" he asked.

She smiled and placed her hand on her hip. "Maybe we should make them swim to save their ship." She said getting worried looks from the pirate crew. "No…too cruel." She said, then turned around. The crew sighed in relief. "Off with their heads." She said, causing them to shout in horror. Lyle laughed as Captain Nemo approached from below deck after assessing battle damage.

"There'll be none of that on this ship." He said putting his bloodied saber away at his side. "Put them in the brig." He said to the heroes holding down the prisoners. "We'll figure out what to do with them when we start running out of food." He said, getting a laugh from the crew and another groan of horror from the pirates.

OoOoO

Michael sat listening to the tale, fascinated at the workings of the pirates. He listened until the story was over before speaking up.

"So it worked?" he asked smiling.

Lyle smiled and ruffled the young boys hair. "Yes, it worked. Thanks to you, a lot of lives were saved today. It was a very good plan." He said standing again. "Now, lets get to your training." He said, and the boy stood smiling. The boy nodded eagerly and grabbed his weapon. Lyle grabbed a wooden sword from the table next to him

"What will you be teaching me today?" he asked curiously.

"You will be learning how to use your weapon as if it was a part of you." He said as he tapped the boys weapon with his own. "Now, defend yourself." He said as he quickly flicked the wooden sword at the boy. Michael deflected the weapon, but was surprised when it appeared next to his throat a second later. "What are you holding right now?" asked the hero as he stood with the boy at his mercy.

Michael looked at him oddly. "What?"

"What are you holding in your hands?" asked the hero again.

The boy looked at the wooden spear confused. "A weapon." He said, thinking the question strange.

"No." said Lyle as he lowered the weapon. "What you are holding in your hand is your soul. It's your life, its your blood, its your heart. Every hero has a weapon, and most heroes are decent with that weapon. But do you know what made people like me, like Whisper, like Thunder as good as we are?" he asked raising the sword. The boy shook his head. "It's because our weapons are more than just a tool of destruction. They are a part of us. Watch." Said the warrior as the energy from his body became visible.

It flowed around him like a rapid river, coursing through his whole body. But the boy noticed that it didn't just stop at his hand. The waves washed over the sword as well as if it was a part of Lyle's body. Then it dawned on him. "It's a part of you." He said as the energy vanished. The warrior smiled.

"Now you are getting it. Don't strike with the weapon. Strike with your body." Said the hero as he stood holding up the weapon. "Now…defend yourself." The sword flew again, but this time the boy ducked under the blade. The weapon came back to strike again, but it was blocked by the wooden spear. Michael, as smooth as the air, loosened his hold on the weapon, causing it to spin as if controlled by his mind around the outside of his hand before landing safely in his palm again.

Quickly, as the hero struck again, the boy flicked the spear forward, causing the shaft to bounce off Lyle's forehead. Lyle stumbled back in surprise and fell and fell to the floor. Michael caught the spear again and thrust it forward the same time that Lyle thrust his sword at the boy. It stopped at the boys heart. Lyle looked down at the wooden spear that was aimed at his own chest. It was a draw. The warrior smiled widely before standing up and putting the sword away. "Now you have truly seen the secret of a heroes power." He said. "You would have killed me if that had been a real spear. I would not have been able to reach you with the range of my sword if it were." He commented as he knelt down.

"But you are stronger than me. You would have surely overpowered me before I could get close enough to you to do that with a real spear." Said Michael, feeling pride swelling within him that he had even gotten the hero off his feet.

Lyle nodded. "Which is why you have to get stronger." He said as he crossed his arms. "So, get stronger." Michael looked up at him and smiled, knowing the cue he had been given. As instructed before, he jumped up and grabbed a hold of a hard wooden pole that was hanging above him. Using the strength in his arms, he pulled himself up to the bar, before hanging again, then repeating. Lyle sat on the bed watching proudly as the boy pull himself up and down on the bar with determination.


	12. Gateway to Snowspire

OoO( 12 )OoO

The warrior stood in the crows nest of the ship, watching for the horizon. He was getting a bit cramped on the ship and wanted to stretch his legs out on dry land. He watched until he heard someone approaching on the ladder behind him. He didn't turn as the mage pulled himself into the crows nest, merely staring at the thick fog they had wandered into. Standing next to the hero, the mage crossed his arms.

"How long do you think this fog will last? We have slowed our speed so as not to run into anything too quickly, but at this rate we will never find Snowspire..." he said.

Lyle shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. I have never seen fog this thick. And as well it tells us we are near the island, but if we can't see it then we may miss it, or run into it and get most of us killed." he said to his friend.

The dark hero nodded and turned his head towards their east. Squinting his eyes, he noticed something strange. "What is that?" he asked curiously as he jumped on the ladder again. He slid down, leaving Lyle to stare over the edge at what he had noticed. There was a large shadow following alongside the ship in the distance. Though barely visible, it could be seen and was fairly large. Van walked to the edge and stared at the large shadow, unable to make anything of it. He turned around to Lyle and shrugged. The hero shrugged back, when the door to the cabin slammed open and Michael with one of the bandits from the ships prison came out fighting for their lives.

The boy, now holding his spear instead of a wooden makeshift, struck out at the bandit. But, the man was quick on his feet and dodged the spear thrusts left and right before attacking with his own weapon. Michael blocked the attack with his spear handle, then grabbed the mans hand and threw himself to the ground with a foot in the mans stomach. The attack launched the man through the air, making him land hard on his back. The boy warrior jumped to his feet and ran forward, throwing himself into the air and stabbing out with the spear.

The bandit saw the attack and closed his eyes tight, when he heard a loud thud. Opening one eye, he saw Michael standing over him with the spear head buried an inch from his head. The boy smirked, the helped the man to his feet. "Almost had me that time." he said.

The man shook his head, laughing to himself. "Boy, I didn't even come close. You are a twister with that weapon I tell ya." he said back to the warrior. Suddenly they were both silenced by the two standing at the eastern side of the ship.

"Quiet the both of you!" said Van in a whispered tone. They both walked over to the side and stared at the monstrosity as well, which had grown in size since it was first noticed.

"What is that thing?" asked Michael, awestruck by its massive frame.

"We don't know, but it hasn't noticed us, so lets not push our luck by talking." he whispered. The boy nodded and they were silent, watching the figure swim alongside them as if it was a mirror image. Suddenly, the shadow vanished underwater, to the surprise of all four of them. "What the hell?" asked Lyle as he bent over the rail and searched the waters, but it was too foggy to see anything down there.

Suddenly, the entire ship rocked as two serpent like creatures sprang out of the water and roared loudly. Lyle and Van both yelled in horror before diving to the side as one of the creatures snapped at them. Michael froze. Dropping his spear, he fell to his knees and grabbed his head, memories flashing through his head. He remembered a ship, the sea, a large dark skinned man over him with a dark skinned woman holding him. He remembered the loud roar of a beast, then all he could remember is crying and darkness. Tears rolled down the boys face as he recalled that loud roar. It was the most terrifying thing he had ever heard.

Lyle fired lighting with both hands at one of the creatures, causing it to shriek loudly, then sink underwater. Turning, he saw Michael, then turned to the bandit who was also frozen. "Hey!" he shouted, getting the mans attention. "Get him out of here!" he yelled, then the monsters tentacles sprung up from the water and slammed him into the cabin. The man grabbed Michael and ran for the cabin, kicking the already loose door open and running down the stairs with the boy over his shoulder.

Van held of the other beast using his own shadow magic, creating giant birds that clawed and dove at the creature. It sunk underwater as well, bringing its tentacles up and swinging at the mage. He dove over the tentacle and turned around just as three more headed towards him. He raised his arms in defense, then gasped as the white haired warrior flew in front of him and sliced clean through all of them with his giant sword.

The mage turned towards the door and saw his angel of protection, Alex standing in the doorway. The beast over the edge roared loudly and rose out of the water, its mouth glowing bright with energy. Elizabeth, who had run to help her husband, stood in front of him as the monster unleashed a massive blast of energy. It smashed against an invisible force, nearly knocking the woman backwards. Van placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her energy to flourish. The invisible shield expanded and smashed the creature backwards.

Lyle had taken care of the remaining tentacles and the creature had jumped out of the water, preparing to fire its energy. Lyle backed up and turned to the mage. "Elizabeth! A little help!" he shouted as the dragon drew back to fire. She was breathing heavily on the ground.

"She can't! She's out of energy!" shouted Van.

Lyle turned and held up his hands to try and block the attack. The dragon thrust forward ready to fire when a silver streak struck it with enough force to hurl it sideways, completely out of the water. The energy fired off into the sky and the beasts middle discentigrated from the force of the attack. It splashed into the water dead, torn in half from the fierce strike.

Lyle turned and saw Alex holding her bow again. He smiled and sighed, relieved at being alive. He would have to thank her later. Suddenly, the ship rocked roughly, sending Alex stumbling to the ground and her weapon skidding across the deck. It changed back into the ancient weapon handle as it was stopped by the wooden rail at the front of the ship. "No!" shouted Alex as she rose to her feet and ran after the weapon. The ship rocked again, sending Lyle flying backwards as Van sheltered his exhausted wife with his arms. The second serpent rose from the water again and snapped at Alex as she ran across the deck.

It turned and focused on the closer solitary target. It drew back and launched itself at the two, Van and Elizabeth. Van didn't notice until he heard Lyle shout out to him. "Van! Look out!" shouted the warrior, and the mage looked up in time to see the dragon thrust at him. He gasped as Lyle jumped in front and grabbed the beast by its jaws. He held it using all of his strength. Summoning his will, he yelled as lightning started to shoot across his body. It entered the serpents body through his grip and the beast shrieked loudly at the attack. Both Van and Elizabeth grabbed one of his shoulders, despite the shock they got and added their power to his. Lyle yelled aloud, his eyes turning white from the electricity flowing through him and into the sea monster.

The creature cried out helplessly as its body convulsed, shaking the ship. Finally, its fierce golden eyes rolled into the back of its skull as the power from the three fried its brain, killing it. Lyle let go of the serpent, and immediately it hit the deck, and slid over the edge. He breathed heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead as he knelt down. "Well...that was...incredible..." said Elizabeth as she patted Lyle on the back.

"Yeah...did you actually stop that thing in its path?" asked Van, still questioning what he saw.

"I was kinda in a rush, so I'm not sure what happened myself." he said chuckling from the ground.

Van smiled, then his expression went blank as he began to feel the same feeling he had before. He felt as if he had someone spying on him, giving him chills down his spine. He heard Scythe's voice in the back of his head. _"Van, the Fireheart, use it now."_ said the old mage. Van reached down into his pouch and pulled out the apple sized stone, which was now flashing with red light. Holding it up, the light shined brightly in all directions, causing the fog to scatter like birds fleeing from pray.

They all looked at him, then at the area around them. The path began to part in front of them, the fog splitting like a sword was slicing through it. "I see land!" shouted Alex as she looked ahead of them.

Lyle smirked at the mage. "Finally...I was getting a little sea sick." he said, making the mage chuckle. Turning to the cabin, he yelled inside and kicked open the obstacles that had blocked the others from coming out, sending them tumbling down the stairs. "Land ho!" he yelled merrily.


	13. Blood Rivals

OoO( 13 )OoO

Slowly the ship pulled up to the snowy island and docked at the port jutting out from the land. Lyle stood at the front of the ship, staring at the foggy snow covered island. Something wasn't right...he could feel it. He jumped off onto the wooden jetty as he continued to stare at the island. The others were climbing down the ships ladder to the port, when Alex noticed Lyle ahead of them.

Walking up to the warrior, he stopped behind him. "What is it?" he asked, staring as the hero did.

"Something is out there...waiting for us." he said as he drew his sword. "Keep everyone by the ship." he said as he walked forward. Van turned and gave the command, then followed the hero, as did the other members of the guild. As he began to walk up the shore of the beach, the feeling hit him even stronger. But this time, he knew what it was. "Dragonites..." he said as he steapped back.

Van's eyes widened as he saw the creatures lurk out of the fog. There was an army of them. Both of the heroes took a step back as their hearts began to race. They remembered how hard it was to kill these creatures, and that was when they were alone. An army would destroy them. Lyle held his ground as the creatures moved closer, their eyes penetrating the warrior.

Van backed up and stared at the hero. "Lyle, what are you doing?" he asked. "We have to get out of here!" The minion army moved closer and closer to them, circling around to surround them. Van, tired of waiting for the warriors response reached forward and grabbed him.

Lyle jerked out of the mage's grip and glared. "Stop! We've come this far and you want to go back now!?" he shouted. "Not me. I'm staying and...." he said as he turned back to the army. But to his surprised, they had all stopped and kneeled to him. They had all bowed onto one knee and lowered their heads as if he was their king. "W...What is this?" he asked.

"So you are Lyle." said a voice from deep within the fog. Everyone stared towards the voice as a tall shadow appeared. Finally, a man wearing all black came out of the dense curtain and stared at them through dark eyes. "Let us see if you are all that they say you are." he said in a rather monotone voice. Taking the large sword off his back, he ran forward and dove over the minion army, straight at the hero.

Lyle brought his sword up, causing the man to clash with him roughly. "Who are you?" asked the warrior through gritted teeth as he used his strength to stand evenly with his counterpart.

Smirking, the dark hair warrior pulled away slightly before slashing at Lyle with the giant blade. Lyle blocked the attacks and jumped backwards to give himself some room. "I see you haven't heard much about your own family have you?" he asked. Lyle gasped and looked at the man shocked. Ark pulled his hand back and hurled a giant fireball forward. Lyle dodged and rolled to the side, as the massive ball exploded on the ground, shaking it slightly. "What's wrong Lyle? Maze didn't tell you you had family elsewhere?" he asked as he ran forward again.

Lyle ran forward as well, this time putting effort into his fighting. Clashing blades witht he warrior, Lyle forced him backwards using the strength in his legs. Throwing him back with a giant swipe of his glave, the hero jumped up into the air covering his sword in his flaming energy before slamming the blade into the ground. The fire shot forward and exploded in front of the dark warrior, sending him soaring backwards. He landed and skidded back in the snow before coming to a stop and kneeling from the pain. "Not bad..." he said.

"Just who are you?" asked Lyle as he approached the man.

Standing again, the dark cloaked warrior ran forward. Dodging a swipe from Lyle, he planted his boot on the heroes armor and flung himself into the air. He pulled his fist back again and fired two more massive fireballs at the hero. Lyle jumped out of the way of one of them, but the other exploded right next to him and sent him tumbling across the ground.

Lyle got up and glared at the man who landed a ways away from him. Getting to his feet, he raised his hand and lightning shot toward the man. The dark warrior however slashed through the magic attack and swiped at the man again. Lyle jumped over the attack, bringing his own sword down heavily on the man, who blocked the attack again. Suddenly, both of them stopped as they heard a loud shout.

"Enough!" echoed across the beach and everyone on the shore looked at the figure. Both Lyle and the unknown warrior froze, glaring at each other, their blades still locked. "You are indeed Lyle the Saber." said the tall aged figure as he walked towards them. "Maze has told me much about you."

Lyle looked at the man and pulled away from the warriors lock. "Who are you? And why was I attacked?" asked Lyle furiously.

"We have many things to talk about my young hero. And you as well Van." said the much older man. Van approached and finally recognized the figure.

"Scythe?" asked the mage. The man nodded. "So, you are Maze's mentor. It's good to finally meet you." he said.

"Save the greetings for later. We must go now to the city." he said. Turning, he began walking away from the shore and into the snowdrift with Van and the others behind him. Lyle didn't go immediately. He stopped and looked at the man he had battled with, who was looking back at him.

"Let us do this again. Without the interruptions." he said, then walked off after everyone else.

Lyle glared as he watched the dark cloak flap in the wind. "Yes, lets finish what was started." he said, then followed them.


	14. Shedding Light

OoO( 14 )OoO

Snowspire was an island surrounded by a thick cloak of fog. In the center of the island was a large city surrounded by the ruins from a kingdom lost far in the past. In the large snowy city, huge fires were lit to help keep the unmerciless cold from enveloping and swallowing the small population of the islet.

Scythe walked into the center of the town where there stood a giant cullis gate, lifeless and empty. Lyle walked forward with the others, the dark haired man ahead of him. He couldn't take his eyes off him. Hundreds of questions were rolling through the heroes mind as he stared. "What did he mean by family? Was he a relative? But I was an only son, how could he be?" he thought to himself. He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't see the attack from the side.

But his instincts immediatly fired up and he raised his metal framed hand and caught the spiked ball that was seconds from smashing into his face. Glaring at the man who threw the weapon, his arm started to glow with energy.

"Huh...oh no...not that...please!" yelled Zerga as he tried to detach the chain from his arm. But it was too late. Lightning shot through the chain and the young mans body went rigid for a moment before Lyle jerked the chain, sending the man flying forward. A swift kick flatlined the young man before Lyle stepped on his head.

Still glaring at the perpetrator, the warrior growled. "Who are you and why did you attack me?"

Zerga opened his eyes and sighed. "Yep...can definately see the resemblance from down here." he said painfully.

Lyle took his foot off the mans head and stepped towards Scythe. "Alright, enough! What is going on here!?" he asked loudly, getting everyones attention. They all turned and looked at him. Turning to the dark haired hero, Lyle eyed him curiously. "Who are you? And why did you call yourself my family?" he asked.

Ark looked at Scythe who stepped towards Lyle and placed a withered hand on his shoulder. "Lyle, we have much to talk about. Let us go to my house." he said. Lyle looked at the man. He resembled Maze in that he had similar markings on his face that glowed with light. But the majority of his face was covered with a cloth mask leaving only his mouth and eyes showing. Finally, he nodded and continued to follow the man to a small house near the center of town.

Once they arrived, Scythe turned to Lyle. "Your friends will stay out here. Only you, Van and Ark will be coming in with me." he said. Lyle turned to Alex and Michael.

"Don't worry. I'll look after the little one." said Alex with a smile, putting her arm across the young boys shoulders.

Lyle nodded. "Thank you. We shouldn't be long." he said, then turned and walked into the small hut after Scythe. Van and Ark followed, closing the door behind them.

"Please take a seat." said Scythe as he sat down in his own large chair. As the warrior and the mage took their seats, they looked around and noticed that Scythes house was similar to a library. The walls weren't visible behind the rows and rows of bookshelves. There were books on every subject on the walls, some of them not even in any well known language. "Lyle, I know you have many questions, so I will let you ask them." said the wizard as he leaned back in his chair. Lyle noticed that even sitting down, the man was very tall.

A question immediately sprang from the warriors mouth. "Who is he?" he asked looking at the dark hair warrior in front of him.

"This is Ark. He is a hero as well, but was not trained in the guild as you were. I trained him here." he said. Lyle was about to interrupt when Scythe stopped him. "I know what you are asking. And yes, it is true. You two are related."

"How? My mother never had another son and as far as I know my mother was an only child." said the warrior. Scythe nodded.

"It is true, your mother was an only child. However, her mother was not. Your grandmother had a brother, who begot his own family. Ark here is his grandson. And by blood, you both are related." he said as the two warriors stared each other down."

Lyle sat back and scratched his head. "Wait...so why have I never met him?"

Scythe sighed deeply before continuing. "That was partly mine and Maze's fault. You see, Maze and I started a group to try and stop Jack. We noticed early on that Jack was far too powerful for any mans good. As soon as we learned that he sought the Sword of Aeons, we immediately tried to find a way to prevent him from getting it. We could not confront him because of his power. But we could keep him from getting the key."

"How did you plan on doing that?" asked Van, interested in the story greatly.

"Simple. To get the key, you need many pieces of a puzzle. If you remove one piece from his sight, then he can't complete the puzzle, and can't get the key. These puzzle pieces are simple. A male from the bloodline of Archon. The book with the spell to remove the barrier to the Monastary where the key is kept. And the final piece is someone who can read Old Kingdom so that they can translate the book."

"So...you had to get rid of one of those pieces in order to stop Jack?" asked Lyle. Scythe nodded. "So why not destroy the book?" he asked.

"Jack was already in possession of the book. He had the book for a long time and would not let it out of his site. Even when Maze had it in Hook Coast he could not destroy it. Jack himself had made the pages of the book indestructable in case Maze tried something. So we could not get rid of the book. And there are numerous people across Albion that can read and speak Old Kingdom. So we had to go with the only option left."

"Get rid of the bloodline." said Van as he looked at Lyle.

"So...why didn't you?" asked the warrior, wondering why he as asking why he wasn't killed as a child.

"Lyle, we are not barbarions, nor are we murderers. We did however try to remove you from Jack's sight. When Ark was young, he was an orphan. We found him easily enough and brought him here where Jack could not find him. But when we traced your side of the family, we ran into a problem. See, it was believed that your mother had died during the balverine attack on Barrow fields. So we did not think we had to worry much about your side of the family. However, your mother was a hero, and soon Maze found out who she was. When he tracked her down to Oakvale, we were already too late."

"Too late? Meaning that Jack found out who I was..." said Lyle as he remembered the attack on his village when he was a child.

"Yes...Jack beat us to you and ripped the village apart looking for you. However, you weren't in the village."

Lyle remembered the day as if it had just happened. "I was...Theresa had pushed me off the road and I fell...then I blacked out. I was hidden at the forests edge of the village." he said staring at the floor. "If it hadn't been for her, Jack would have found me and I would have been..." he trailed off.

"Indeed. Jack might have used you to get the sword immediately. But luckily for us, Maze found you first. He kept you hidden in the guild for some time but eventually, Jack found you again. Maze stopped him from taking you and using you right away by telling him how rebellious you were, and how you would have died before doing anything to help him. So, in exchange for 'getting you to open the barrier', Jack let Maze live, even after hiding you." said the old wizard. "We then had a prophecy from your own sister, telling us that you would defeat Jack with the help of two others. When Maze felt the time was right, he took you to Hook Coast."

"Maze wanted to make sure I was ready to fight Jack. He sacrificed his own life to make sure Jack was destroyed." said Lyle as he remembered the battle he had with the older man. Then, after thinking for a moment, he looked up at Scythe. "So, what you are saying is that Jack could have used either me or Ark to open the monastary. Meaning that it was just by chance that I was the one he found." he said.

Scythe nodded. "Indeed. If Jack had found Ark, you might still be living in Oakvale as a farmer or something else.

"Another question..." said Van as he interrupted. "Jack's minions on the beach...why did they bow to Lyle? A long while ago, they were after our heads, but now they are rolling over like servants..." he said.

"The dragonites are the minions of Archon, not Jack. Using his magic, he revived the beasts to serve him. But once Lyle destroyed Jack, they immediately went back to their original nature and followed the orders of the bloodline of Archon. In Albion, Theresa had all the minions stand down and go back into hiding. But here in Snowspire, Ark controlled all the minions."

"So...wait...I can control them now?" asked the warrior, intrigued by his new found power.

"Yes, you can. You only need to order them." said Scythe.

"One last question." said Lyle. Scythe nodded. "Why is the cullis gate dormant here?" asked the warrior. "It would have made travelling a lot easier if we could have gone through it."

Scythe chuckled. "I would have thought that your last question would have been about Jack's ressurection." he said.

Lyle shook his head. "No need to ask how. The fact is that he is coming back, and we have to stop him. So why ask questions?" he said.

"Very wise. As for your question, the cullis gate here is dormant because of Maze." he said, getting Van's and Lyle's attention. "Maze was the one who activated the cullis portal. When he died, Jack took his power from him and tried to use it against you in your final battle. So the cullis gate went with Maze and it has been dormant since."

"So, why not reactivate it?" asked Van.

"Dear boy...only an experienced mage can activate a cullis gate. I may be a great sorcerer, however I have opened many cullis gates across Albion. If I were to try to activate this one as well, I'm afraid I would be pulled inside out. It is beyond my power." he said.

Van scratched his head nervously. "That's....comforting..." he said.

"You however, are able to open it. And as such, you will be marked." said Scythe as he stood and walked to the door.

"Wait...marked?" asked Van, again nervous.

"You will see. Now, come with me so we can connect this island to Albion once more." said the old mage as he opened the door. They all stood and walked with him to the center of the town.

The young mage walked up and looked at the empty monolith. Standing in the center, he recalled some of the knowledge that was passed to him by Scythe. "Alright...stand back." he said as he raised his arms. Everyone backed away from the gateway as the mages body lit with power. Energy surged through his form and he aimed his palms at the crystals embedded into the large pointed pillars surrounding the gateway. When he felt he had enough energy stored, he unleased it into the jewels, causing a shockwave to fly through the city. Suddenly, the gateway sprang to life, it's shimmering light causing the faces of those watching to turn to awe.

Van fell onto his knees, his energy nearly drained from the effort. When he looked up, Lyle and Alex gasped. His face now had several glowing markings on it. They were similar, but not the same as Maze's facial markings. Alex walked forward and knelt down to him. Touching the glowing markings on his face, she asked, "Does it hurt?"

He shook his head smiling. "Not really..." he said, then flinched when Lyle poked one of them. "Ah! Cut that out!" he said shoving the chuckling warrior.

"So the gate is open now?" asked Lyle. Scythe nodded. Stepping forward, he stood in front of the gateway. "Lets give it a try." Taking a step into the light, he immediately felt the pull of of being transported. He closed his eyes and felt the immediate change of the cold air to the warmer climate of Albion. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself inside the guild. Standing in front of him was a young girl with dark hair around her shoulders, about to take a bite from a bread roll. She stood stunned as the warrior stepped out of the shining gate.

"L-Lyle?" she asked. He looked down at Kiko and smiled.

"Hey. Did you miss me?" he asked. She dropped the food and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.


	15. The Alliance

OoO( 15 )OoO

Lyle smiled as he held the young foreign girl close to him. "Hey, it's been a while." he said.

She held him tightly, wanting to cry, but holding her joy in. "Yeah...it has." she said simply. As she held him, others in the guild walked by and noticed the warriors return. They all greeted him.

"Hey, I have to go back through the gate now..." he said. However, he didn't get to finish his sentence before the girl jumped in.

"I'm going too!" she shouted.

"Uhh...I don't think that's a good..." he said, but immediately shut his mouth. She had looked at him with a dark looked that he learned to fear. It meant that the talking was over. "Alright...I guess it couldn't hurt." he said smiling nervously. "Cummon." Taking her hand, he stepped back into the gate.

The light lifted them both off the ground before the outside world vanished, and again the biting cold air of Snowspire surrounded them. Stepping down from the gateway, the warrior smiled at the others. "Good as new." he said.

Van smirked. "Of course. Was there any doubt?" asked the mage with a pompous air. Alex giggled at his smugness as Lyle crossed his arms.

"I don't know. I was half expecting to come back through in a few pieces." said the warrior. "But you did a good job." he said. Then, he turned to Kiko and motioned her towards the others. The young girl stepped forward, then looked around. A beautiful smiled crossed her face as she looked up into the sky at the falling snow.

"I've never seen something so beautiful..." she said as she stared.

"Well, we better get you inside before you freeze. Those clothes aren't fit for this kind of weather dear." said Alex as she took the girl and led her to a nearby house.

Lyle and Van watched them go with smiles. Then, when they were gone, Van popped a curious question that made Lyle twitch. "So, is that your new girlfriend?" he asked with a smirk.

"Are you insane!?" shouted the warrior.

Van shrugged. "Well, you seem to be pretty close to her. And with as many girls that chase you I can tell that she has something for you." Van teased, elbowing his longtime friend.

However, it seemed as if all the feeling left Lyle. Van took a step back, almost shocked by the change in attitude. "I don't feel for her the way she does for me. The only one..." he said, then stopped.

Van stepped forward as Lyle's head lowered. "I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." he said, but the warrior walked away, ignoring the rest of the sentence.

OoOoO

Lyle sat in a house, the fire in the fireplace was billowing and casting dancing shadows all across the room. It was modestly ornamented, with only a bookshelf, a chair, and a bed in the corner with a painting next to the door. It showed a ship plowing through stormy seas, as if it was a nature all its own fighting against the gods will.

He stared into the fire. He felt a wave of confusion crashing inside him. He knew who he loved, but he felt so conflicted having another around. Images of them together flashed through his mind, from the moment they met to all of the things they did as they grew up. He even cracked a smile when he remembered the circumstances on which they had met. He recalled being a young boy and nearly getting taken out by a stray arrow.

But then, his thoughts shifted to the other. He hadn't realized how he felt about her until it was too late. It took her sacrifice to crack the stone around his heart, and because of it he was able to conquer his greatest enemy. Gripping the chair tightly, he shook his head. "I have more important things to be thinking about right now." he said as he got to his feet and stretched his limbs. Walking to the door, he opened it and walked out. Looking up, he smiled grimly at the cloudy sky. "It seems like the sun never rises in this place." he said, then walked around the town.

He made his way back to Scythe's house, but stopped when he saw a familiar figure walking his way. It was Ark, his large sword across his back and his black cloak billowing in the wind. They locked eyes and time seemed to freeze. Both men stopped as they saw each other. The wind picked up and tore at the exposed skin on both of them, but neither moved.

People on the streets walked around the two. Nobody dared to walk between the two. Finally, the dark figure spoke. "Lyle was it?" he asked.

Lyle nodded. "Yes, and you're Ark." said the warrior. "It seems we have a lot of catching up to do."

Smirking, the dark warrior nodded. "But first, we have some business to take care of." he said. Lyle got a curious look across his face. "Oh, you don't know then huh? Well, I'll tell you then. I was brought here to this island because they wanted to protect me from Jack. However, when I was grown enough to fight, I couldn't leave. Then, Jack was defeated." he said.

Lyle was starting to get the picture, but he thought he'd ask anyway. "So, what you are saying is..."

"What I'm saying is that this time, you will not be fighting alone. You've fought him once before, but now that he is here, I will be fighting him every bit as much as you will." said the dark warrior as he walked next to the hero.

Lyle sighed. "Listen..."

"No, you listen..." said Ark as he cut his relative off. "You may think that your grudge against Jack puts some barrier around you making you the chosen one. But you were only chosen to fight him because you weren't found in time. Just because you have already fought and beaten him doesn't mean that you are the only one who can beat him, and it certanly doesn't mean that you are going to be the only one to fight him." snapped the dark hero.

Lyle closed his mouth as his brows dropped irritatedly. He wasn't fond of his new found blood brother, nor did he have the feeling he would be any time soon. However, he knew he was right. "You are right. I always assumed it would be just me because I was the only one. But it seems that even fate has its sense of humor." he said, holding his hand out to the man. "I guess we will be working together then?" he asked. The dark warrior took his hand and they both squeezed, not enough to make the other flinch, but hard enough to let each other know they were serious about everything that was said.

"Indeed we will brother." said Ark, who then smiled. "And the first thing we need to do is see the oracles."

"Oracles?" asked Lyle scratching his head.

The warrior nodded. "The oracles are wise ones who watch over Snowspire. If anybody knows how to defeat Jack, it's them." he said.

"I see. So, to find out more about Jack we have to talk to them?" he asked. "Well, how do we go about doing that?"

"Unfortunately, I can't say. Only Scythe has knowledge of them. He keeps saying that we should only talk to them if its absolutely necissary." Lyle nodded. "So, lets start there." he said. They both turned and walked back towards the center of the town.

OoOoO

"So...what you are saying is that to talk to these oracles...we have to go through a graveyard and dig up old runes?" asked Lyle.

Even Ark had a skepticle look on his face. "Then bring them back here and insert them into the obelisk on the mountainside?"

Scythe nodded. "Each rune holds the spirit of one of the oracles. And none will talk unless all are there." he said.

"So, why are they in a graveyard?" asked Lyle as he scratched his head.

"The oracles are not biased in who they talk to. The knowledge they hold they will share with anyone. So of course they are hidden so that they do not fall into the wrong hands." he said. Lyle and Ark both nodded, understanding. "Oh, one more thing." said the old wizard. They both looked at him. "It isn't a graveyard you will be searching. It's the Necropolis."

"What's the difference?" asked Ark.

"The Necropolis is the city of the dead."

"Wait, city?" asked Lyle astonished. "We are searching through an entire city for these things?"

"I think that should be the least of your worries." said Scythe. "The reason its called the city of the dead, is because the undead literally roam the streets. One of Jack's earlier deads." he said.

"I've handled plenty of undead before." said Lyle smiling confidently. But his smiled faded slightly when he saw the older mans face.

"You will see for yourself what you deal with when you get there. Until then, rest. I will have the gates open by tomorrow morning." he said, then turned and walked out the door.

The two warriors looked at each other nervously. "Knowing what you've done so far and he still thinks you will have trouble?" asked Ark.

"Now I'm worried." said the warrior. "Well, lets get to work." he said, then they both left the house.


	16. Deathtoll

OoO( 16 )OoO

Lyle and Ark sat back to back on the roof of a small square building. The purpose of the building was long forgotten, as the sign and any form of its former glory were torn to shreds by time and a multitude of undead creatures. The warrior sighed as he stared at the large city that covered about a quarter of the island. "Well, this is a brilliant situation we've stumbled upon."

Ark smirked as he looked out over the side of the building. There was a massive crowd of undead gathered around the building, looking for the prey that had escaped them. "A truer statement has never been spoken." he said. "And what's the worst part of this?" asked the dark warrior. Lyle looked at him curiously. "These buildings are wooden. So setting the undead on fire will consume the building and kill us too." he said.

Lyle laughed. "I'm sure that's something that Scythe would love to see. An entire city set ablaze on the horizon caused by a horde of screaming corpses running crazy and lighting everything else on fire too." he said. Ark laughed loudly as he pictured the look on Scythe's face, then sighed when he realized that he just gave their position away.

"Damn you..." he said as he stood up and watched the undead creatures start climbing the buildings. "I blame you for this." he said, getting a chuckle from Lyle.

"Well, I guess I owe you then." he said as he looked for an escape route. "Now, where the hell was this first glyph?"

"He said it was buried in front of an obelisk in the graveyard." he said laughing again. "Wow, I just realized something..." he said.

"That we are in a giant graveyard?" asked Lyle with a smile as he finished the mans sentence. "Well, we better start looking then." he said as he spotted a way out. Walking to the edge of the building, he noticed a few ropes stretching from one side of the building to another, undoubtedly some form of cloth drying cord. "Over here!" he said. The other man ran over and saw the cords then looked at him.

"Think it will hold?" he asked.

Lyle didn't say a word before placing one foot on one of the cords, then stepping onto the other. After gaining a decent stance, he stepped forward slowly, placing one foot ahead of the other, sliding forward. After crossing the great chasm, he looked down and noticed an entire ocean of undead faces looking up at him, reaching up and trying to grab him. However, he was too far above for them to even hope to reach. When he was close enough to the other side, he jumped and landed on the other side.

Turning, he smiled. "Yeah, it will probably hold." he said as he saw the undead creatures starting to crawl on top of the opposite building. Ark turned and looked at them, his long black hair waving in the wind, then turned back and jumped onto the ropes. He dashed across in three strides, crossing in record time before turning back and swiping the cords so that they couldn't be followed.

"Good idea. Now what?" he asked as he noticed the creatures turning their attention to the new building.

"Run." said Lyle.

"You are just full of good ideas today." said the dark warrior and the sprinted across the clay tiled rooftops. Their heavy boots cracked the plates of the slanted roof underneathe them as they ran forward. Making it to the end of the roof, Ark measured the next rooftop with his eyes and made a jump. He landed heavily on the roof across the gap and turned around.

Lyle wasn't as confident in his jumping skills, however he made the attempt. Planting a heavy boot, he launched himself into the air. However, his armor was heavier than that of his partners, and he began to sink a lot faster than planned. Reaching out, he tried to grasp the edge of the building, but he wasn't close enough. He felt the black abyss below him begin to swallow him when suddenly he stopped. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Ark with a strained look on his face holding him in the air with one arm.

"I....can't hold...you...." said the man through gritted teeth. Lyle, thinking quickly reached up and unbuckled his chestplate, letting it fall into the depths. A few of the undead looked up in time to see the heavy plate fall, before it crushed their frail frames under its weight. Ark, now much relieved from the loss of a great deal of weight slowly pulled the warrior up. Lyle clamped onto the edge of the building with his gauntlet and jerked himself on top, breathing heavily from the near death experience he had.

"Sorry..." said Lyle, now only sporting his spaulders and a white linen shirt underneath.

"That's two you owe me." said the dark warrior as he massaged his arm. "Lets keep moving." he said, then they both ran along the roof to the far end of the building. When they stopped, they were both mildly surprised at what they found. In front of them was a fence outlining the edges of a large cemetary.

"What are the odds?" asked Lyle.

"In our favor I guess." said Ark as he looked around. Finally, he pointed. "There."

Lyle looked into the background and spotted what the warrior was pointing at. It was a large rectangular structure that was topped with a pyramid. "The obelisk." he said. It stood about 15 feet high and towered over everything else in the graveyard. "Great...now how to get there..." he said as he looked down at the street below. Yet again, they had been followed by the swarm of necromantics.

The warriors both looked at each other, and knew immediately what the other was thinking. They both drew their swords, then jumped down onto a balcony below them. Yet again, they leapt from the edge and one landed on the street, while the other crushed one of the dark spawn under his boot.

Dashing forward, they began to carve a path through the sea of hollow faces towards the gate to the graveyard. Once they reached it, Ark opened the gate and they both ran inside. Slamming the gate behind them, Ark began to hold it shut as a wave of bodies pushed against the heavy iron door.

Lyle looked around, then grabbed a torch from a nearby holder and slid it through the two rings of the doors. "There, that should hold them for a few minutes." he said. Ark nodded to him and they both ran towards the large structure at the back of the cemetary.

Stopping at the bottom of the structure, Lyle began to dig with his hands at the earth. "Move." he heard above him. Looking up, he suddenly slung himself backwards as Ark drove his broadsword deep into the earth, then wrenched at it with all his strength. The soil gave way and began to rise out of the ground. As the warrior heaved one last time, the earth flew into the air and Lyle immediately spotted the object among the flying debris. Reaching forward, he grabbed a small stone object and pulled it free as the rest of the dirt fell back to the ground.

"We got it." said Lyle smirking.

"Yeah, but now what?" asked Ark. Looking up, the warrior new what he meant. The undead had pried the door open and were now flooding into the graveyard towards them.

Sighing to himself, there was only one word that Lyle could think of. "....damn..."

OoOoO

"I can't believe you let them go on their own!" shouted the woman. She glared at the wizened mage as he stood by the fire with both hands on top of a cane. "There is no telling how many of those...those things are in that city, and you just let him stroll off into the undead apocolypse without any aide!? Are you mad!?" she shouted louder.

"Young lady, I assure you that I am not mad." said Scythe as he turned to the blonde woman.

"Then how could you let them just go off to their complete annihilation!?" she roared as she crossed her arms.

He smiled. "Miss, whatever instruction I gave those two, I can say that there was nothing in it that said they could not bring help." he said. Her arms dropped as she looked at him. "If they went without telling anyone, its because they chose to."

She seemed speechless for a moment, then turned away and all her rage seemed to boil over at once. "Lyle..." she said silently and walked out the door, leaving the old man in the house with only a young Kiko and Van sitting in the chairs around him.

"You know...if I was him I would prefer to stay in the Necropolis than have to come back and face that..." said Van as he rubbed his forehead. "But that's just like him. Diving head first into disaster without telling anyone so that they wouldn't be in any danger."

"So...how many times has Drake...I mean...Lyle, how many times has he...um...saved people." asked a shy Kiko, who now wore a purple fur coat worthy of Lady Grey.

Van looked up at her. "Well, I'd say it started about ten years ago. His first act of greatness was obliterating a snow troll, and from that point on he pretty much took on whatever came his way. Funny thing is that he always came out on top. Lucky bugger if you ask me."

"I see." she said smiling to herself. "It's good to know he was such a good person. Some of the others in the group suspected he was some kind of escaped prisoner." she said, feeling as if some weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Van looked at her curiously. "So, Kiko was it?" he asked. She nodded enthusiastically. He smiled, then continued. "When exactly did you run into him? How did you meet?" he asked as he leaned forward, interested in hearing what happened after he left.

She placed her hand on her cheek as she remembered her first encounter with the warrior. "Well, it was a little bit under a year ago. Our group performed in a few towns in Albion, then we decided it was time to head north for our yearly anniversary back in our hometown. So we headed north, and as always we hired a hero to escort us through Darkwood. Unfortunately, I think he may have been a rookie, because at the first sign of trouble he ran off." she said.

Van's face changed to a dark expression. "Did you happen to get his name?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We had only met briefly before leaving." she said. The mage nodded and she continued the story. "Well, we were about to turn back, when we heard voices in the trees around us. It was unsual, of course, and we tried to leave. But we were attacked by bandits. They tied all of our arms and led us and our cart into some worn down building in the forest. It turns out they were slave traders, and they planned on trading us to some newly formed bandit horde as servants."

Van thought for a moment. "I don't recall any new bandit camps in Albion..." he said.

"Well, thats because when it was time for the leader to take us back to the camp, they were attacked by a wolf. Or...at least what we thought was a wolf. He was wearing that same wolf mask that he wore the day of the festival. So we thought he was some sort of half man, half wolf. He attacked them without mercy." she said as she recalled the loud crunching sound the bandit leaders head made when it spun completely around on his neck. "He freed us, and said he would guide us through the rest of the forest. After we got out into the open fields again, he disappeared." she said.

Van gave her a curious look. "So, he didn't join then?" he asked.

"No, we played in Barrow Fields for a while, but then we decided to head north again. Before I left though, I wanted to thank him, so I picked some flowers from the fields and went back to the forest."

The mage could hardly believe his ears. "You went back into Darkwood by yourself?" he asked. She nodded. "Are you insane?"

She giggled. "I suppose, but when he walked with us, I noticed him looking at me. Or, at least I think so. Well, I decided to see him again and thank him for helping us. And...well..."

The younger mage stopped her. "Let me guess, he wasn't the first thing you ran into?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, he wasn't. There was a dark creature there...darker than night it seemed. I thought it was going to attack me, but it just left. After that encounter I figured I wouldn't push my luck further, and went to leave, then he showed up again. This time he wasn't so nice. He asked me why I was there, and I thanked him. But he said I shouldn't have come back." she said.

"Sounds like him..." said Van.

She remembered the next few moments vividly, as if they had happened moments before.

OoOoO

She looked down at the ground after having been told off. She wasn't used to people being so unkind, however she knew he was right. "I'm sorry...I just...."

However, the man cut her off. "You just wanted to get killed. No person in their right mind would come to this forest alone. But you came alone, and unarmed. You are either brave or stupid. And I don't venture to guess that you are brave." he said in what seemed to be a growl.

She felt tears begin to roll down from her eyes as the words hit her. "I'm sorry..." she said again, then turned and ran. He watched her run off then sighed.

Walking forward, he went after her, picking the flowers up off the ground as he went. He knew he had been too hard on her. However people didn't learn if they didn't get punished. Following her trail, he suddenly heard a scream. Running through the trees he jumped out next to her and saw what had terrified her. Three balverines were stalking low to the ground, as if they were only shadows, hunting for a soul to feed on.

"Step back..." he said as he crouched himself. She did as she was told and stepped backwards. Immediately, one of the beasts jumped after her. It was stopped dead when the mans foot contacted its chin however. Rolling backwards, it laid on the ground stunned. The other two immediately attacked him. He moved to the side and grabbed ones outstretched claw, then twisted it sharply letting out a loud snap.

Roaring in pain, the creature snapped at him with its jaws as the other made a jump at him. Drawing a dagger, he slammed it hilt deep in the first balverines head, then immediately swung it by its broken arm and caused it to smash into the other, making it stumble and fall backwards. Grabbing the blade, he jumped like lightning on the other and gave it the same end as its kin. He began to stand, when suddenly he heard the girl yell.

"Watch out!" she shouted, He turned in time to see the one he stunned earlier smash into him and pin him to the ground. The dark creature began to snap at him with its razor like teeth and was slowly getting closer to his throat. Taking his hands, he wrapped them around the creatures throat and squeezed as hard as he could.

The mad beast raked wildly at his chest with its claws as it choked in his hands. However, no matter how much it grasped and clawed at him, his grip didn't loosen. Finally, after a few seconds, the beast became weak, then went limp. Squeezing harshly one last time, the man made sure the creatures windpipe was crushed. Letting go of the beast, he attempted to get up, but his body wouldn't respond.

He looked over at the terrified girl as she rushed to his side. Her tears overflowing now. His eyes widened, because for a second, only a brief moment, he saw her again. "M...Mar...ia..." he said as he closed his eyes, despite the girl calling to him loudly.

OoOoO

Van had been absorbed into the story and was now leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. She stopped momentarily as she wiped a tear that threatened to flow away. "Then what happened?"

"I laid there with him. I wasn't going to let him die alone." she said. "But we were attacked again. This time a pair of black creatures that were unlike anything I had ever seen grabbed us and began running through the forest carrying us. I blacked out, and when I woke again, I was back in Barrow Fields and he was laying next to me. From that point on, he promised me he would protect me no matter what." she said. "I don't know why he said it. But when he did, I was happy."

Van was in shock. He hadn't noticed it at first, but when Kiko looked up at him he immediately realized why Lyle did what he did. Though there were differences, Kiko resembled the young girl he knew from his past. "I see...and he came with you to the north." he said.

She nodded with a smile. "He was truly meant to be a part of our group I think. He was pretty clumsy at first, but after a few shows he was one of the favorites across Albion as the bad guy." she said.

Van smirked. "Ironic..." he said.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Nevermind." he remarked as he stood. Looking at Scythe, he knew the wizard had come to the same conclusion as he did. This girl was Lyle's second chance.


	17. The Last Glyph

OoO( 17 )OoO

"Oh man...Scythe is gonna love this..." said Lyle as he looked at the scene. They had escaped from the cemetary and locked the door, taking a lot of the undead creatures with them in the charge. Now, trapped inside the stone walls of the graveyard, the entire place was blazing as the torch that the dark warrior had used as a lock lit the undead on fire. They ran back and forth, smashing into each other and lighting others like them on fire. Now, the entire place was a giant flaming pool.

"Well, at least its contained. We didn't light the whole city, so we should be fine." said Ark as he turned and faced the sun, which was slowly heading towards the horizon. "The next one should be in a church." he said.

"Yeah, behind the wall in the back." said Lyle. Then he sighed. "It would really be helpful if next time we got directions to these places." he said irritated.

"No need." said Ark smiling. Lyle looked at him curiously. "When we were on the rooftops, I saw a large building with Avo's Sword on the steeple." he said. Lyle smiled and slapped his head. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Ladies first." said Lyle, getting a smirk from Ark, before getting shoved forward. "Alright alright, I need to open the door for you anyway..." he said sarcastically. Ark growled and jumped at the warrior, only to find air. Lyle took off laughing as the dark warrior chased him.

OoOoO

Kiko had wondered the streets of Snowspire Town, looking at all the small island had to offer. She knew this wasn't like other towns. Something here was more dreary, as if the soul from the town was dying. There were no lively merchants eagerly lying through their teeth to sell goods for much more than they were worth. There were no children playing in the streets, or happily chasing pets. It was all quiet and hardship for the small town.

What was worse, she felt that this place was familiar. She had no memory of anything before the troupe, but nobody there was related to her. She hadn't thought to ask them about it. She was happy where she was after all. But now, she was having a feeling of dejavu, as if she had been here before.

She was suddenly startled as a hand fell onto her shoulder. Jumping, she spun around with her heart racing. Then she sighed with relief as she saw Cara smiling down at her. "What's the matter kiddo?" asked the playful young mage.

Kiko sighed again. "I'm not sure really. I just have a really bad feeling about this place." she said. Cara crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side curiously.

"Could it be that Jack of Blades is going to be ressurected here unless the heroes from the guild stop it? Or is it something else bothering you?" she asked, trying to make the girl smile. However, the attempt failed.

"It's something else. I don't know what, but I get a feeling that I've been here before." said the girl.

Cara pouted slightly. "Well, I don't know anything about that. But lets say we go get something to eat. That should clear your mind up a bit." said the young mage smiling. Kiko noticed her stomach growling at the mention of food and smiled.

"That's....a good idea." she said, then walked with Cara to a nearby tavern.

The young woman looked at the girl and felt her heart hurt. _"I hope Lyle doesn't get swallowed by this. It will just end up hurting him and her both."_ she thought to herself.

OoOoO

The sun began to set as the two warriors walked up to the stairs of their final destination. They were both breathing heavy and had several bruises as trophies for their near failures. They both smiled however, when they saw the last building. It was a monistary, though small, it was certainly grand. Stained glass windows were all over the building inside the wall, but the largest was the one directly in the center of the buildings face.

It stood proudly in the dying sunlight, gleaming with a myriad of colors. In the center was a giant golden cross that dominated the window. As they walked into the building, they spotted bones everywhere. They were scattered across the courtyard of the small structure, even some skeletons hanging out of the windows.

Lyle and Ark stopped in their tracks. Lyle's hand was on the sword on his back, his remaining hand ready to fire lightning at a moments notice. Ark had his sword drawn, the tip of its blade scraping the ground.

"I...have a really bad feeling about this place..." said Lyle silently. Ark nodded in agreement. Together, they slowly walked forward towards the main building in the back where the stained glass windows were glistening in the sun. It seemed as if the wind blowing across the grounds was echoing the screams of those who died here.

"Wait..." said Ark. "Those don't look like the bones of a human..." he said pointing at a few piled on the ground. Lyle noticed what the warrior was talking about. One of the bones was as long as his arm, meaning that whatever either died here, or was living here, was not human, and was much bigger than they were.

They continued to move silently across the grounds, guarding themselves cautiously against any sneaky undead. However, there was nothing. After they made it inside, they gave one last look at the courtyard, then shut the door behind them. The light from the sun shone through the glass windows, creating a koleidascope effect on the back wall. The two warriors looked around the place for any clue as to where the glyph was.

"Where do you think it could be?" asked Ark as he looked around the place at any obvious hiding spots.

"Not sure. Scythe said that it would be easier to find at sunset. But I have no idea what he was talking about..." said the warrior as he scanned the room also.

"Hold on..." said Ark as he walked towards the back wall. Stopping a few feet away, he smiled as he looked at the picture painted on the wall by the sun. Turning back, he looked up at the stained glass window. "Easier to find at sunset huh?" he asked, then raised his hand and knocked on the wall in the center of the pictures giant cross. To both of their surprise, it was wooden, unlike the rest of the wall.

"Well, its about time you found one." said Lyle walking up and smirking. Ark looked at him oddly.

"Is that right. Find the rest by yourself then?" he asked as he smiled.

"Might as well have...I did all the work after all." said the warrior.

"Hah! If you call complaining working, then you had me outmatched the whole way." said Ark as he pulled his fist back. He thrust his fist forward, causing the wall to cave in, creating a cloud of dust that engulfed them. After a long coughing fit, they came back to the hole and looked inside. In the small amount of light, they saw an apple sized round stone with a glyph in the dead center.

Smiling, Ark grabbed the stone and put it in his pouch. "Well then. I guess we are done here." he said. No sooner had he finished talking than the ground started to rumble.

Lyle looked at him furiously. "What did you do!?" he shouted. Ark looked at him speechless. "Hah, had you worried. Lets get the hell out of here before whatever is doing that decides to show up." he said running for the door.

Ark looked after him, then growled. "I'm gonna kill him..."

They both made it to the door when the entire inside of the monastary building lit up with magical glyphs and symbols. Not stopping to admire the specticle, they both kicked the doors open and ran outside, only to stop in their tracks again. The bones they had seen outside earlier had pulled themselves together to make one massive creature that was looking right at them.

"You know that bad feeling I had about this place?" asked Lyle as he grabbed his sword. Ark nodded and grabbed his own. "Well, I think I know what it was." he said.

Ark growled and pulled his sword free of its scabbard. "I hate it when you're right." he said. The creature reared its head and roared loudly, looking like a large skeletal bull on its hind legs. Lurching forward, it launched a wave of fire straight at them. Both of them dodged opposite ways to escape the flames as it engulfed the building they had just exited from. Lyle rolled to his feet and ran at the creature, his large blade drawn.

He jumped at the large creature and slashed at its leg. He looked surprised as his sword got stuck in the bone. The creature backhanded him and sent him flying across the courtyard as Ark ran forward. Jumping high into the air, he took a giant swipe at the creatures skull. But, he was cut short as the creature grabbed him in mid-air. It's massive frame seemed to flow like water as it used momentum to smash the warrior to the ground.

Opening its mouth, the undead collosus prepared to launch another blast of fire. Ark felt the heat build and covered his face from his impending doom. Lyle had gotten to his feet and ran forward, launching himself into the air before slamming both feet into the top of the bulls skull. It's head twisted on its shoulders, firing the wave of heat off to the side. Ark took his chance and thrust both palms forward, creating a massive energy wave that blew the monster backwards.

Ark got to his feet and Lyle pulled his sword loose and they both dove in, attacking the undead ferociously. However, its bones were a lot more tempered than its underlings. It got back to its clawed feet and roared again. It swiped at Lyle, knocking him back as its long tail swung at Ark.

The dark warrior jumped, but the tail raised off the ground and caught him in mid sweep. He was slammed against the wall as Lyle dodged another jet of flame. Coming to Ark's side, the warrior was gasping for breath. "Damn! We can't find a weakness for this thing!" he shouted.

Ark got up and stretched his back as the undead goliath turned to them and prepared again. "Then we have to make one!" he shouted. As the monster swiped at him, he jumped. He landed on its arm and ran up its body before jumping off and slashing with all his body weight. He caught the monster right above its tail. The blade carved through the bone, completely severing the appendage from the creature. It roared loudly, giving an opening for Lyle.

The warrior ran forward and took another running slash at its leg. This time, the blade cleaved through the monsters limb, causing it to fall over on its side. Ark waisted no time in attacking, raising his sword again and swinging another heavy blow at the creatures neck. Lyle ran forward and joined him. Both warriors yelled loudly as they swung downwards, striking true and cutting off the creatures head.

Ark smirked, then fell over in the light snow that covered the island. Lyle limped over to him and sat down. "See? What'd I tell you. That's me doing all the work again." he said to his partner.

Ark laughed, then groaned painfully. "Ahh...don't make me laugh you bastard." he said as he held his ribs.

"Well, I say lets get out of here while we still can." said the hero. Ark nodded his agreement, then slowly sat up. Lyle used a bit of healing magic on him so he could walk again, and they both set out for the door with Ark's arm over Lyle's shoulder for support. They suddenly stopped when they heard a roaring from behind them. Slowly they both turned around and saw the body of the creature standing on its repaired leg again. It slowly stalked forward as the eyes in the skull that was still lying on the ground burned brightly.

"You know...I'm starting to think Avo has it out for us..." said Ark gravely. Lyle sighed.

"Persistant little bastard isn't he." he asked.

"Agreed. But now what?" asked Ark.

Lyle shrugged. "I guess I'll see you in the afterlife if we don't make it out of this." he said.

They both grabbed their weapons again, and prepared for the worst. But, the beast fell. It crashed forward into the ground, shattering one of its arms into gravel. They looked at each other, then back at the monster. Suddenly, four bright lights shining in the darkness suddenly flew and hit the creatures spine with enough force to crack it. The beast roared loudly in pain.

"Are those...arrows?" asked Ark as he squinted at the lights. Suddenly, the fire began to spread and soon consume the creature. Both warriors watched in horror as the mighty goliath turned to ashes. Suddenly, Lyle looked nervous. Ark looked at him curiously. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"We need to leave right now." he said frantically.

"Why? Well...you know what I mean." said the dark warrior.

"Something even worse is about to show up." he said trying to get the door to the sanctuary courtyard open. Finally he pushed the gates open, then froze in his tracks. Right in front of them on the path leading outside was Alex, standing tall with her bow in her hand. "Uh oh..." said Lyle.

"LYLE!!!" shouted Alex as she drew an arrow back on her bowstring. The warrior fled immediately, leaving Ark to lean against the wall next to the door. She fired the arrow which flew and ricochetted off his left spaulder, causing him to lose balance. He rolled across the ground and rose to his feet.

"Alex, can't we..." suddenly, he shut up as four arrows flew at once and hit the wall surrounding his body. His heart raced as he realized how close to death he had brought himself.

"Why?" she asked. He looked at her, and she glared at him. "Why did you go without me?" she asked.

"Uh...what...?" asked Ark who was standing behind the woman.

She raised her arm and cut him off. Walking forward slowly, she began to advance on Lyle. He felt like a cornered animal, about to be pounced and torn to pieces. But she didn't attack. She simply walked up to him and stared at him, tears in her eyes. "Why do you always do this Lyle?" she asked. But he didn't say anything. He almost panicked when she jumped at him, but he didn't move. She simply beat on his chest, crying to herself and cursing him at the same time.

He stood and took it before raising his arms and pulling her close. She seemed to go limp when he did, accepting the embrace. "I'm sorry." he said to her. "I promise it won't happen again."

She just laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.


	18. Awakening the Oracles

OoO( 19 )OoO

Lyle and Ark were breathing heavily as they ran for their lives. After talking to Thunder, they decided that the best place to start looking was the arena. They had travelled through the cullis gate and into Witchwood Forest, the closest place to the arena. And of recent, the home of a large balverine nesting ground.

Now, they ran as the whole pack chased them through the forest. One of the creatures that was faster than the others caught up, but was sheared in half when Ark's blade swung at it. They continued to run towards the giant stone building in the distance, the hungry beasts running swiftly after them. Finally the made it to the door, when Lyle turned around.

"What are you doing!?" yelled Ark as he stopped behind the hero.

"Watch and learn!" yelled the hero. He raised his fist into the air and slammed it to the ground. Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted in front of him, flooding forward like some lethal tidal wave. The baverines that weren't caught in the immediate explosion were sent sailing backwards with their fur on fire. Backing inside the building, Ark aimed both hands above the door and shot lightning at the arch, collapsing the stone structure in on itself. Turning around, they found themselves in the main hall of the arena. The statues of heroes lined the walls, however, there was one difference.

"What happened to this place?" asked Lyle as he looked around. There was rubble and debris everywhere. It looked as if the place had been in a natural disaster.

"You mean its not like this normally?" asked Ark as they walked down the red carpet that led to the anteroom.

"No...it looks like an earthquake hit this place." said Lyle as he stared at the damage all over the Arena. Suddenly, both of them stopped when they heard pounding on the door to the anteroom. "What the...?" asked Lyle. They both ran forward as screams became audible from the other side. Each hero grabbed one of the iron rings on the door and pulled them open, causing people to flood into the chamber. They were all guards, running for their lives from some unseen threat.

The heroes looked at each other and ran into the ante room. There was nothing but broken furniture and bodies inside. When they ran to the doors leading to the arena, they gasped in horror at seeing three men outside surrounded by dark creatures. They appeared to be minions, but they had no form.

"Damn..." said Lyle as he ran outside into the sunlight. Ark followed with his sword ready.

"What are those things!?" he shouted. The creatures turned and looked at the newcomers.

"Nows my chance!" shouted the man in the middle. He was definately younger than Lyle, and from the looks of his chainmail armor and greatsword, he was a hero. Stabbing the sword tip first into the ground, he began to yell at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, both heroes stopped as they felt a power surge coming from the unknown man. The two guards on either side of him stepped back as well. As he yelled, red energy began to flood out of his body, completely surrounding his form. His short black hair flew in crazy directions as the energy flooded his body.

Then Lyle saw it. "He's a berserker!" said Lyle in surprise.

"I'm sorry I haven't been in the hero business for very long, but what the hell is a berserker?" asked Ark.

"Someone who turns will energy into raw power." he said. "We have to get those guards out of there now." Both of the warriors ran forward as all hell broke loose. The young man yanked his sword out of the ground, the iris in his eyes now glowing bright red. He had a maniacal smile on his face as he jumped forward and attacked the shadow creatures with inhuman strength.

The first one never saw it coming. His long two-handed sword cleaved through its form as if it were paper. The others saw this and attacked. However, they didn't stand a chance. He sheared two of them in half while they were in the air, then jumped on another. Grabbing its head in his hand, he crushed its cranium. As the shadow creatures fell, they vanished into black smoke.

Lyle and Ark had gotten to the guards and pulled them away from the fight. The two men were awestruck at the young ones strength. He swung his sword overhead and the blade split one of the creatures in two, causing the blade to stick in the ground. One of the monsters slashed at his back from behind, however the young hero didn't even flinch. Turning around, he grabbed its neck and twisted its head completely around on its shoulders.

"This is insane!" said Ark as he watched the havoc insue. "Dragonites are among the strongest creatures in the world, how can one kid take on that many!?" he shouted.

"They aren't real dragonites, and they lack the durability of real ones. They are shadow creatures, summoned by a mage...." said Lyle as he felt chills down his spine. "Or a demon..." he said as he looked around. He knew that feeling. Jack was somewhere nearby.

"Still, that's pretty crazy for someone as young as that." said Ark as he watched the young man disembowel another of the dark creatures. Looking over at Lyle, he grew curious. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Jack is somewhere...I can...feel him." he said as he looked around the empty stands of the abandoned colloseum.

Finally, the last of the shadow creatures faded away to nothing. The boy turned and saw the heroes standing a short distance away and started walking towards them.

"Uh oh...we have more pressing issues." said Ark as he drew his blade. Lyle turned to the boy as well.

Walking forward, the young hero stopped in front of them, then to the surprise of the two warriors, fell to his knees. His hair fell flat again and Lyle could feel the energy dissapating. Hearing ragged breaths coming from the young one, both warriors knelt down to help him. "S-Sorry about that..." he said as he gained his balance again.

"For what? Completely slaughtering those creatures?" asked Lyle amused.

"Sorry indeed. You saved a lot of lives, including ours." said one of the guards that had remained to fight.

"Wait...what happened here?" asked Lyle.

The other guard sighed. "We were putting the new hero through his paces, teaching him about the arena. He was going to be a new addition to the warriors soon enough and I thought he should know how things work."

"That's right. We were in the fighters chamber over there when suddenly the ones out here practicing for this weeks show started screaming. We looked outside and saw them getting slaughtered by those dark...things." said the guard.

"We came out to help, but everyone else who wasn't killed ran off." said the first guard indignantly. "That's what we get for helping those in need, huh?" he said.

Lyle smirked. "Well, looks like you didn't need their help after all." said the warrior looking at the young hero. "What's your name?"

"Toran...but the guild calls me Efrit." he said sheepishly.

"Efrit?" asked Ark curiously.

"Yeah...it's old Albion mythology that talks about a demon covered in flames." said Lyle smirking. "I can see why they would name you that. My name is..."

"Lyle the Sabre." said Toran as he smiled.

Lyle looked at him strangely. "Have we...met?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. When I finally went to the guild, you were much too busy with pirate kings and ancient swords to notice any new faces." he said. "But I guess you could call me a fan of yours."

"I see, well, good to meet you Toran Efrit." he said shaking the younger heroes hand. "Now then, we have business here, so could you wait in the chamber for us?" asked the warrior. All three agreed and left Ark and Lyle in the arena grounds.

"Now we use those orbs that Scythe gave us." said Ark as he pulled one of them out. They were crystal clear ball shaped stones. He concentrated, and slowly released some of his will energy into the orb, causing it to glow. Suddenly, it seemed as if the whole world changed around them. The sky changed from blue to black, covered with thick clouds and the world around them no longer had any color. The bright orange stones used to build the arena were now dull grey, as was the rest of the world around them.

Ark looked around and gasped as he saw numerous spirits approaching them. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded. Voices began to flood their heads as more and more spirits noticed them.

_"Why are you here?"_

_"Have you come to set us free?"_

_"Are you of the living?"_

_"Where are we?"_

Both warriors held their hands to their ears, dropping the orb to the ground as they failed to block the bombardment of noise. Suddenly, one voice cut them all off.

_"SILENCE!!!" _shouted a familiar voice. Lyle's eyes shot open and he looked up at the speaker. She stood tall with a large spear over her shoulder, and a grin on her face. _"Hello farmboy." _said the spirit of his old friend, Whisper.


	19. The Young and the Old

OoO( 19 )OoO

Lyle and Ark were breathing heavily as they ran for their lives. After talking to Thunder, they decided that the best place to start looking was the arena. They had travelled through the cullis gate and into Witchwood Forest, the closest place to the arena. And of recent, the home of a large balverine nesting ground.

Now, they ran as the whole pack chased them through the forest. One of the creatures that was faster than the others caught up, but was sheared in half when Ark's blade swung at it. They continued to run towards the giant stone building in the distance, the hungry beasts running swiftly after them. Finally the made it to the door, when Lyle turned around.

"What are you doing!?" yelled Ark as he stopped behind the hero.

"Watch and learn!" yelled the hero. He raised his fist into the air and slammed it to the ground. Suddenly, a wall of fire erupted in front of him, flooding forward like some lethal tidal wave. The baverines that weren't caught in the immediate explosion were sent sailing backwards with their fur on fire. Backing inside the building, Ark aimed both hands above the door and shot lightning at the arch, collapsing the stone structure in on itself. Turning around, they found themselves in the main hall of the arena. The statues of heroes lined the walls, however, there was one difference.

"What happened to this place?" asked Lyle as he looked around. There was rubble and debris everywhere. It looked as if the place had been in a natural disaster.

"You mean its not like this normally?" asked Ark as they walked down the red carpet that led to the anteroom.

"No...it looks like an earthquake hit this place." said Lyle as he stared at the damage all over the Arena. Suddenly, both of them stopped when they heard pounding on the door to the anteroom. "What the...?" asked Lyle. They both ran forward as screams became audible from the other side. Each hero grabbed one of the iron rings on the door and pulled them open, causing people to flood into the chamber. They were all guards, running for their lives from some unseen threat.

The heroes looked at each other and ran into the ante room. There was nothing but broken furniture and bodies inside. When they ran to the doors leading to the arena, they gasped in horror at seeing three men outside surrounded by dark creatures. They appeared to be minions, but they had no form.

"Damn..." said Lyle as he ran outside into the sunlight. Ark followed with his sword ready.

"What are those things!?" he shouted. The creatures turned and looked at the newcomers.

"Nows my chance!" shouted the man in the middle. He was definately younger than Lyle, and from the looks of his chainmail armor and greatsword, he was a hero. Stabbing the sword tip first into the ground, he began to yell at the top of his lungs.

Suddenly, both heroes stopped as they felt a power surge coming from the unknown man. The two guards on either side of him stepped back as well. As he yelled, red energy began to flood out of his body, completely surrounding his form. His short black hair flew in crazy directions as the energy flooded his body.

Then Lyle saw it. "He's a berserker!" said Lyle in surprise.

"I'm sorry I haven't been in the hero business for very long, but what the hell is a berserker?" asked Ark.

"Someone who turns will energy into raw power." he said. "We have to get those guards out of there now." Both of the warriors ran forward as all hell broke loose. The young man yanked his sword out of the ground, the iris in his eyes now glowing bright red. He had a maniacal smile on his face as he jumped forward and attacked the shadow creatures with inhuman strength.

The first one never saw it coming. His long two-handed sword cleaved through its form as if it were paper. The others saw this and attacked. However, they didn't stand a chance. He sheared two of them in half while they were in the air, then jumped on another. Grabbing its head in his hand, he crushed its cranium. As the shadow creatures fell, they vanished into black smoke.

Lyle and Ark had gotten to the guards and pulled them away from the fight. The two men were awestruck at the young ones strength. He swung his sword overhead and the blade split one of the creatures in two, causing the blade to stick in the ground. One of the monsters slashed at his back from behind, however the young hero didn't even flinch. Turning around, he grabbed its neck and twisted its head completely around on its shoulders.

"This is insane!" said Ark as he watched the havoc insue. "Dragonites are among the strongest creatures in the world, how can one kid take on that many!?" he shouted.

"They aren't real dragonites, and they lack the durability of real ones. They are shadow creatures, summoned by a mage...." said Lyle as he felt chills down his spine. "Or a demon..." he said as he looked around. He knew that feeling. Jack was somewhere nearby.

"Still, that's pretty crazy for someone as young as that." said Ark as he watched the young man disembowel another of the dark creatures. Looking over at Lyle, he grew curious. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Jack is somewhere...I can...feel him." he said as he looked around the empty stands of the abandoned colloseum.

Finally, the last of the shadow creatures faded away to nothing. The boy turned and saw the heroes standing a short distance away and started walking towards them.

"Uh oh...we have more pressing issues." said Ark as he drew his blade. Lyle turned to the boy as well.

Walking forward, the young hero stopped in front of them, then to the surprise of the two warriors, fell to his knees. His hair fell flat again and Lyle could feel the energy dissapating. Hearing ragged breaths coming from the young one, both warriors knelt down to help him. "S-Sorry about that..." he said as he gained his balance again.

"For what? Completely slaughtering those creatures?" asked Lyle amused.

"Sorry indeed. You saved a lot of lives, including ours." said one of the guards that had remained to fight.

"Wait...what happened here?" asked Lyle.

The other guard sighed. "We were putting the new hero through his paces, teaching him about the arena. He was going to be a new addition to the warriors soon enough and I thought he should know how things work."

"That's right. We were in the fighters chamber over there when suddenly the ones out here practicing for this weeks show started screaming. We looked outside and saw them getting slaughtered by those dark...things." said the guard.

"We came out to help, but everyone else who wasn't killed ran off." said the first guard indignantly. "That's what we get for helping those in need, huh?" he said.

Lyle smirked. "Well, looks like you didn't need their help after all." said the warrior looking at the young hero. "What's your name?"

"Toran...but the guild calls me Efrit." he said sheepishly.

"Efrit?" asked Ark curiously.

"Yeah...it's old Albion mythology that talks about a demon covered in flames." said Lyle smirking. "I can see why they would name you that. My name is..."

"Lyle the Sabre." said Toran as he smiled.

Lyle looked at him strangely. "Have we...met?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. When I finally went to the guild, you were much too busy with pirate kings and ancient swords to notice any new faces." he said. "But I guess you could call me a fan of yours."

"I see, well, good to meet you Toran Efrit." he said shaking the younger heroes hand. "Now then, we have business here, so could you wait in the chamber for us?" asked the warrior. All three agreed and left Ark and Lyle in the arena grounds.

"Now we use those orbs that Scythe gave us." said Ark as he pulled one of them out. They were crystal clear ball shaped stones. He concentrated, and slowly released some of his will energy into the orb, causing it to glow. Suddenly, it seemed as if the whole world changed around them. The sky changed from blue to black, covered with thick clouds and the world around them no longer had any color. The bright orange stones used to build the arena were now dull grey, as was the rest of the world around them.

Ark looked around and gasped as he saw numerous spirits approaching them. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded. Voices began to flood their heads as more and more spirits noticed them.

_"Why are you here?"_

_"Have you come to set us free?"_

_"Are you of the living?"_

_"Where are we?"_

Both warriors held their hands to their ears, dropping the orb to the ground as they failed to block the bombardment of noise. Suddenly, one voice cut them all off.

_"SILENCE!!!" _shouted a familiar voice. Lyle's eyes shot open and he looked up at the speaker. She stood tall with a large spear over her shoulder, and a grin on her face. _"Hello farmboy." _said the spirit of his old friend, Whisper.


	20. Collector of Souls

OoO( 20 )OoO

Lyle stood gaping in shock as the girl he grew up with stood before him. He seemed to have lost his will to move and speak. She stepped forward until she stood right in front of him. She was slightly taller than he was, causing her to look down at him while leaning on her spear. Her spirit form seemed as if it was very powerful.

When nothing was said, the woman smiled. _"I knew you missed me Lyle, but I never thought you were in love with me." _she said as she smirked.

He seemed to snap out of his stupor when he heard her comment. Looking at her oddly, he asked, "In love with you? What are you talking about?" he asked.

_"Well, you haven't seen me for years, and now that you do all you can do is get rendered speechless by my unyielding beauty. You must have been in love with me." _she said.

The warrior snorted. "Right..." he said smiling back. "Only your brother could love you." he said. Whisper laughed loudly.

_"Now that's the farmboy I remember." _she said. _"So, Lyle. If not for that reason, then there must be some reason you are here."_

He nodded. "It's...a long story." he said.

_"Who's your friend over there?" _she asked noticing Ark standing with his arms crossed as if he was left out behind Lyle.

"Oh...this is Ark. He's my...uh...something." he said.

"Lovely introduction..." said Ark as he walked forward and nodded to Whisper. She smiled and nodded back.

"And this is Whisper. We grew up together and she...well...died in the Arena." said Lyle.

"Whisper? Thunder's sister Whisper?" asked Ark.

_"That's correct. He is my older brother." _she said.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Although...I do wish it had been under better circumstances." he said with an odd smile.

Whisper laughed. _"You and me both." _she said. Then, she turned back to Lyle. _"Now, as you were saying?"_

"Oh...why we are here. Well, it's a bit hard to explain, but the short version is that Jack is back, he's turned into a very powerful demon, and we need your soul to open the gateway and destroy him." he said, knowing what he said had to be the most blown up story he'd told in a long time.

_"Oh...is that all? Of course." _she said smiling.

Lyle looked at her curiously. "Really? Just like that?"

_"No...not even close." _she said, making Lyle rub his head. _"You are going to have to explain that a little more before I go unlocking some gateway to some ancient demon." _she said seriously.

Lyle sighed. "Fine." he said. "As you probably know, a while after you died, I ended up killing Jack." he said. She nodded. "Well, it turns out that what I defeated was some puppet being controlled by Jack's true form. He was using this puppet to try and get the sword of Aeons, so that he could unlock the gate he has been sealed behind for eons. I stopped him, and now he is trying to find another way to unlock it."

Whisper stood, her mouth open, untalking for a full minute before speaking. _"Wait...so if he is sealed behind this gate, and can't get out, why not just leave him there to rot?"_ she asked.

Ark spoke this time. "As you have seen, he can make shadows of himself on the outside, which are near unbeatable. If we leave him there, then it leaves him safe and protected to do as he pleases with his shadow creatures. Someday, when there aren't heroes like us around to fight him, he may get loose and have no opposition. We have to destroy him now, before he can gather any more power." he said.

She closed her eyes and nodded. _"I see. So, you need my help to open this gate. Why?" _she asked.

"We need three spirits to open the gate. And one of them is the Champion of the Arena." said Lyle.

She smirked. _"Oh? But I'm not the champion. You are." _she said to Lyle.

Ark sniggered again as Lyle sighed. The warrior turned back and glared. "I've already told you, you are not going to kill me and offer my soul to the gate." he said, then turned back to Whisper. "Irregardless of who won our match, we were both still Champions of the Arena. I'm asking for your help to put an end to your killer once and for all Whisper." said Lyle as he picked the orb up, then held it foward in his palm.

She looked at him, then gave him a soft smile he hadn't seen since they were young. _"I always knew you cared farmboy." _she said as she reached up and placed her hand over the orb. Her spiritual body began to glow brightly as she began to float off the ground. _"I will be there when you fight him Lyle, I will protect you as you are protecting me." _Then, she vanished. The orb in his hand glowed brightly with her power as he placed it at his side.

"Thank you Whisper. I promise, I'll get him for good this time." he said as the darkness faded and color was restored to the world. Turning to Ark, he smiled. "One down, two to go." he said, then they walked together towards the ante room of the arena.

OoOoO

After a while of decided where to look for the Ancient One, it was decided that the first one to look for was someone from the guild. No doubt many guild leaders were suitable candidates for the second soul. After arriving at the guild however, they ran into the guild master who greeted them warmly.

"Ah, Lyle! Always good to see you wandering about." he said slightly bowing his head to the hero. "And who is your friend? I don't think we've been aquainted."

"The name's Ark. I'm Lyle's...err..." he said as he tried to figure out exactly what he was on his fingers.

"He's my brother." said Lyle, causing the guildmaster to gasp loudly.

"Oh my...I didn't know you had a brother." said the man. "Very good to meet you, welcome to the Phoenix Guild. I'm the guildmaster here and it's...."

"Uhh...we don't really have a lot of time." said Lyle.

"Oh...right. Sorry about that." he said straightening up. Then a curious look crossed his face. "Wait...why exactly are you here?" he asked.

Lyle explained about the souls and the gateway, feeding the guildmasters curiosity, and also explaining why the guild was the first place they looked. "So, we need to find someone who fits the role as an Ancient One in order to get to Jack so we can defeat him once and for all." said Lyle.

The guildmaster nodded. "Yes, yes. A former guildmaster would do quite nicely. However, I can think of someone who would be more than willing to help." said the older man. Bother Ark and Lyle turned towards him eagerly. "I believe your old mentor would be more than happy to aide you in defeating Jack. After all, he died doing just that, did he not?" asked the guildmaster.

Lyle nodded, then hit himself in the head. "Maze...why didn't I think of it before? He'd be perfect." he said. After thanking the guildmaster, he turned to Ark and smirked. "We are heading to Hook Coast." he said.

OoOoO

A quick jump through the cullis gate sent the two heroes hurdling into the snow covered city. When they arrived, they headed straight for the lighthouse. Both of them went straight up the stairs and reached the top in a matter of minutes. When they arrived, Ark handed Lyle one of the orbs, and again, the world was drained of its color as darkness crawled from the orb.

Lyle saw him immediately. He was standing at the edge of the tower, in front of the shattered window he flew out of when he died. He seemed to be staring outwards, over the city that marked his grave. Lyle stepped closer until he was standing next to the spirit.

_"It's been a long time Lyle." _said Maze. The warrior nodded. _"You've grown a lot since I last saw you." _

"Nah, not really. Your memory might be fuzzy because the last time you saw me you were flying out a window." said the warrior.

The mage looked at him shocked, before smiling, then eventually laughing. _"Yes, I know. You beat me fair and square. Finally Lyle beat the great wizard of the Phoenix Guild." _said Maze, smiling brightly after Lyle's joke.

"Hey, I was pretty proud of it. Until I'd learned you died anyway...then I wasn't so." said the warrior. Maze laughed again, causing Lyle to smile.

_"That's always been your strong point Lyle, your sense of humor." _said the wizard.

Lyle smirked. "Are you sure? I always thought it was my looks." he said as he posed.

"Definately not." said Ark smirking.

Both Lyle and Maze turned to the dark warrior. _"Ah...now there's a face I haven't seen in ages. It's good to see you alive Ark." _

"You too old man. You'd been gone so long I thought you'd forgot about me." said the young man.

_"Well, that happens with death I suppose." _said the mage, making Ark laugh.

Lyle looked at them both, then added everything up. Maze was the one who brought Ark as a child to Snowspire. No doubt he had visited quite a bit to make sure the boy was alright. "Now that you two have been reaquainted, we need a favor..." said the warrior.

Maze nodded. _"I knew this day was coming eventually. I just didn't think you would have chosen me. Although, at that time I didn't know I'd be dead either, so..." _said the wizard as he shrugged.

"Yeah, again, sorry about the whole...killing you thing." said Lyle. Maze shook his head and placed his ethereal hand on the warriors shoulder.

_"It was my decision. I chose to die in order to help you against Jack. It was a glorious way to go, and I wouldn't want to die any other way. But now, to know that I can help you even after death, makes me feel even more proud." _said the old man. Lyle smiled, then held up the orb. _"Be sure to destroy that monster once and for all. I'll be there when you do." _he said, then lifted his hand and placed it on the orb. His body shined brightly as he was lifted off the ground. His white hair blew in the wind as he closed his eyes with a smile, then he vanished into the glowing orb.

Lyle clenched the orb before placing it at his side. "So, we've got two, now we only need one more." said Ark as he walked up to the warrior. "Now, lets head back so we can find a location to look." he said as he turned away.

"I'm not going back to the island yet." said the hero. Ark stopped and looked at him. The warrior no longer had the jolly expression he had when he was talking to his mentor. "Go ahead and go back to the island. I'll follow shortly."

Ark nodded. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Back to the guild, to get the final soul." he said as he headed to the stairs. Ark stood still as he watched the warrior go.

Once Lyle was gone, he shook his head. "I wonder what that was about..." he said as he headed for the stairs. "Oh well, no sense worrying about it." he said as he headed for the cullis gate.

OoOoO

He stood still in the center of the destroyed room. It hadn't really changed since the last time he had been there. The walls were collapsed, and the ceiling had been torn off from the immense energy from years ago. The place where he now stood was where the Sword of Aeons had been placed after the fall of the Old Kingdom. However, the sword was now lost, never to be found again.

The warrior stared down at the orb in his hand. He was here now, he could talk to her again. Yet, something was stopping him. He wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him again. But, he had to find out. Clenching the orb in his fist, he put energy into it, causing it to glow. The world around him was swallowed by darkness as the color vanished. He looked up at the only thing unchanged by the orb, the night sky.

When the effects had settled, he looked around, but didn't see anyone. Suddenly, he froze. _"Hello warrior." _said a voice behind him. He knew she was leaning against his back, he could feel it.

"Maria..." he said.

_"Yes?"_ she asked curiously.

"I...I'm..." he said stuttering. "I'm sorry..." he said.

She tilted her head to the side. _"For what?"_

"For everything. For letting you die...for not protecting you..." he said. After so long of suffering inside, he finally broke. Tears fell from his eyes as he clenched his fists in anger at himself.

_"Lyle..." _she said with a smile on her face. _"Quit blaming yourself for my death." _

"But it was my fault that you..." he said, but he was cut off sharply.

_"Were you always this childish?" _came the question. He stood straight, startled by the harshness. _"The swordsman I remember would not be moping around, moaning and crying about how he is a failure." _she said looking back at him. The warrior stayed silent as he listened to her. _"The hero I knew...that I fell in love with, had an uncrushable spirit. He wouldn't be complaining about how he failed to do this or that. He would fail to accomplish something, then destroy it to stop anyone from finding out about it."_

Lyle snorted and smirked at the comment. "Yeah...that sounds like him." he said.

_"Lyle, you didn't fail to protect me. You protected more than me, you protected Thunder, Van, Alexandria, Oakvale, Bowerstone, and Greatwood Forest. You've protected men, woman, traders, hunters, farmers, and thieves. You've protected fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, lovers, husbands, and wives. Everybody in the world owes you a great debt of grattitude Lyle. Including me."_ she said as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"You owe me nothing Maria. Although I may not be at fault for your death, I still owe you more than you can imagine." he said, finally smiling after his tears dried.

_"Of course you do. And I plan on making you pay in full when you see me again." _she said smirking, also making Lyle laugh. _"But until then, you must forget about me and move on. There is someone else who loves you, and I know you love her. Don't worry about me, I'll be by your side, watching you, as I always have been." _she said, then reached down and touched the orb in his hand. Her body began to glow brightly until her spiritual power was pulled into the sphere.

Placing the orb at his side, he clenched his fist and smiled. "I'm coming for you Jack. And this time, I'll make sure you go straight to hell where you belong." he said, then walked out of the chamber and headed straight for the cullis gate...


	21. The Hearts Awakening

OoO( 21 )OoO

The warrior returned to the island which had a fresh blanket of snow covering its surface. From what he could hear inside the tavern, the largest building in the village, there was some sort of celebration afoot. He opened the door and stepped inside, causing everyone inside to look in his direction.

The first to speak to him was Ark, who was watching as the troupe was reenacting one of their oldest and most loved skits for the islanders and heroes. The dark warrior walked up to him and crossed his arms. "So, did you get the last one?" he asked. Lyle nodded and held up the orb, letting Ark take it and place it with the others. "So...what now?" he asked.

"Tomorrow, we will open the Sealed Gate. Lets leave it for tonight seeing as everyone is having a good time." he said stretching himself out.

"I meant what now for you?" asked Ark eyeing him curiously. "Is your unfinished business taken care of?" he asked as he took a bowl of stew handed to him by Kiko.

Lyle looked across the room and spotted someone. "Not quite. Talk to you later." he said as he walked passed the dark warrior. Moving through the crowd, he rapidly made his way towards the one closest to the stage. Finally, he stood in front of her. She turned and looked at him curiously, her golden hair swishing as a small smile crossed her face. He examined her smile, noticing that it had a hint of sadness in it.

"Is everything okay Lyle?" she asked curiously as she looked down, a bit embarrassed that he was staring so intently at her.

"Come with me..." he said as he took her by the arm and led her towards the back door of the tavern. "I need to have a word with you." he said. She frowned as he led her away from the crowd.

"This doesn't sound like its going to be a friendly chat..." she said nervously.

"It's not." he said opening the door and leading her outside into the brisk air. The moon glowed brightly in its full glory, shining off his armor as he closed the door behind him. He turned to her and looked at her again. "Alex..." he said.

"Are you mad at me for some reason?" she asked, almost cringing at the thought. He slammed both palms on either side of her, forcing her against the wall. "I'm sorry...I don't..." she said, but was cut off as the warrior grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her forward, joining them in their first kiss since the bandit camp long ago.

Alex's eyes widened in shock, but that wore off as her body seemed to melt in his grasp. Slowly, after the shock wore off, she returned the kiss passionately, snaking her arms around his neck and allowing him to lift her off the ground. He spun her around for a moment before walking with her in his arms to his house nearby.

She pulled away from him momentarily and looked into his eyes, as he did to hers. He could clearly see tears flowing down her beautiful face in the moonlight. But these weren't the tears of sadness, no longer did she have the look she had in the tavern. The look of silent suffering, of pain being held inside. She finally let herself go, her tears pouring freely down her cheeks as she held him close and kissed him again.

Kicking the door open, he walked inside and closed it behind him in the same manner. Setting her on her feet, he took his gauntlets off and threw them aside, then pulled her to him again. This time, she backed him against the wall and held onto him as they kissed deeply. Her hands slid up his chest and slowly unbuckled the armor on his chest, pulling it off of him and throwing it clear. The resounding crash of the heavy metal plate plowing through a table didn't even faze the two as they began to undress each other.

Once all his armor was removed, he grabbed her and lifted her again. This time, her legs wrapped around his waist for support as he pushed the door too hard, causing the weak wood to snap off its hinges and slam to the floor. She kissed him deeper still, trailing them from his lips down to his chin before he set her on the bed, both of them armorless and seemingly on fire.

Lyle stood over her, staring into her eyes still. Taking off his shirt, he held his hand out to her. Taking his hand, she was pulled to her feet gently. She reached down and mimiced his action by taking her own cover off, reavealing her bare chest for him. Leaning forward, she kissed a scar on his chest just below the collar bone. She continued to trail down as her hands removed his last article of clothing, his pants.

With them out of the way, she stood again and removed her own skirt, leaving them both bare and blazing like two suns as they looked at each other. Lyle turned her around and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him gently. She shivered as she felt his skin against hers and laid her head on his arm with her eyes closed.

He closed his eyes as well, tears now flowing from them. "I'm sorry...I've been so stupid..." he said in a whisper.

"Lyle...?" she asked as she opened her eyes again. "You've always had this." she said as she took his hand and placed it over her heart. "I've just been waiting for you to take it." He smiled gently and kissed her neck before turning her around again.

"I promise I'll take good care of it." he said, making her smile. Leaning down, he kissed her again, forcing her back onto the bed where she lay down. He slowly climbed over her, locking eyes once again before he ran his hand up her beautiful naked form and kissed her once more.

"I love you Lyle..." she said silently.

"I love you too Alex." he said without hesitation. "And I always will."

OoOoO

The moon had slowly vanished into the night sky as light took over the horizon. Heavy clouds poured over the island as if setting the scene for the upcoming events. The town lay silent in sleep as time passed by them like water. In the morning, the first to awake was Ark. His eyes opened to silence. Sitting up, he found something was holding him down.

Looking down, he saw a small figure with black and red spiked hair laying with him under his blanket. He smiled and gently stroked the top of her hair, the only part that laid flat to her head. She had known him for only a short while, but in that time they had become close. "Well, I guess since Lyle isn't awake yet I don't have to get up just this moment." he said silently, laying back on his bed.

"Good." said Cara with a smile as she looked up at him.

"Ah, playing dead were we?" he asked her. She giggled as he looked down at her with his dark eyes.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." she said playfully.

He smirked as he reached down and tickled her. "I can arrange that you know." he said as he rolled over on top of her. She giggled wildly as she tried to fight him off, but to no avail. Suddenly, his arms were pulled above his head, causing him to look up confused. "What the hell!" he said. Dark energy had poured from the cieling and bound his hands together, rendering him immobile.

"Who has the advantage now warrior?" she smiked wickedly as she sat up in her night clothes.

"Uh...lets talk about this..." he said nervously. But she said nothing as she leaned forward to go for the killing blow. Suddenly, both the warrior and the mage looked towards the door as it flew open, spilling light into the room.

Lyle stood in the doorway, his eyes wide in horror as he saw his comrade bound to the ceiling with a half naked woman in his bed. "Uhh...bad time?" he asked. Cara glared at him and he took a step back. "I'll just let you two finish what you were...uh...talking about." he said nervously before slamming the door shut.

"Hey, wait! Where the hell do you think you are going!" shouted Ark as he pulled at his bonds.

"You aren't going anywhere." said Cara as she smiled sweetly.

He looked back at her, smiling nervously. "Whatever you say dear." he said.

OoOoO

Ark sat at a table in the tavern, eating whatever meat was on the menu for the day. He took a large bite of it as he heard the chair next to him lose its vacancy. Looking over, he saw Lyle with a large grin on his face.

Ark looked in the opposite direction, trying to ignore the smile. However, it was as if the smile was drilling in the back of his skull. Finally, he looked at the warrior with a deadly glare. "You got something to say you traitor?" he asked.

Lyle laughed before speaking. "Traitor? I'm sorry, did you want me to rescue you?" he asked.

Ark looked away again. "She could have killed me with that dark magic of hers." he said as he took another bite.

"But she didn't. So...how was it?" he asked.

Ark thought about it for a moment before replying with a confused look on his face. "Strangely...incredible." he said before pushing his empty plate away. "I can't really explain it. There have been village girls, all incredibly attractive since I was taken here. But none of them really interested me. But her...she's amazing." he said.

Lyle smirked. "Was the sex that good?" he asked. He suddenly found himself coughing and sputtering smoke as he was thrown backwards from a fireball.

"Leave it to you to ruin an honest moment." said the dark warrior as he took a drink from his tankard.

"I'm just kidding..." said the hero as he got to his feet and set the chair back up. "Besides, you aren't the only one who found themselves last night." he said.

"I figured as much." said Ark, who got a curious look from the warrior. "I could see it in your eyes when you walked away from me last night. You were driven by something." he said, getting a nod from Lyle. "Can I ask you something?" he questioned.

Lyle looked up at him curiously. "Sure...go ahead."

"Yesterday, when you said you would get the last soul alone..." said Ark as he noticed Lyle scratching his head. "Was it that girl?" he asked.

"Who told you about her?" asked Lyle curiously.

"Van told me when I asked him why you seemed so...closed in on yourself." he said. "He just told me that there was a girl, and you blamed yourself for her death."

"It's true." he said as he grabbed the tankard set on the table for him. "A while ago after my battle with Jack, I faced an opponent I had never anticipated. I couldn't have beaten him."

"So...how did you survive?" asked Ark curiously.

"Maria, the girl, sacrificed her life to try and save me from the demon. After I saw her die, I just...lost it. I focused all my hate and rage onto the one who killed her...and I destroyed him." he said.

"Wow..." said Ark as he looked down at the table. "So...you blamed yourself because she sacrificed herself to protect you?" he asked. Lyle nodded. "And you went to see her again when you left yesterday?" Lyle nodded again. "I see. So, she is the heroine." he said as he felt the orbs at his side. "When are we going for the gate?"

"The end of the week. Everything else is taken care of, now all we have to do is prepare ourselves and evacuate the island. Once that's taken care of, we open the gate." said the warrior.

"What's to stop Jack from leaving the island once he is free?" asked Ark, taking another drink.

"He won't leave. He isn't the kind to leave business unfinished." said Lyle. "He'll make sure that me, and anyone who helped me is long dead before he leaves."

"Comforting..." said Ark with a sarcastic smile. Ark looked up as he saw a figure approaching Lyle from behind. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around the warriors neck, resting her chin on his head.

"Hello Ark." she said with a smile that would light a room. He smiled back at her.

"Well, I can see you are in a good mood." he said. Standing up, he looked at Lyle. "I'll start the evacuation. It shouldn't take long, but where will the residents stay until its safe again?"

"The Guild." said Lyle as he stood up also, holding Alex against him.

"But...what if we fail? The guild will be the first place Jack would attack." he said concerned.

"We won't fail. But...if we do, then it won't matter where they hide. If we fail, the world belongs to Jack." he said looking at the dark warrior. "That's why we aren't going to fail."

"Good point. I guess I'll see to my own preparations then." said Ark as he nodded to the warrior. Lyle nodded back as he grabbed his sword. Ark nodded to Alex, then left.

Lyle turned to Alex and smiled. "Are you ready?" he asked her and she smiled knowingly.

"Never been readier. Let's get rid of him once and for all." she said as she held up her hand. Lyle took it and kissed it before smiling at her.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." he said, then they both left the tavern into the dark cloudy day.


	22. Eve of Destruction

OoO( 22 )OoO

Van stood in the center of the town, looking up at the sky. It was dark out, yet for an island constantly at the mercy of rabid snowstorms, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. He looked up at the moon in the sky, noticing something strange about it.

The mage stood and stared at the lunar orb as a man in a black cloak walked up behind him. Ark looked up at the moon with him as well. "Strange, isn't it?" asked the warrior.

Van spoke, unmoving as he continued to stare. "It hasn't changed in three days." said the mage. "That's supposed to be a bad omen." he continued.

"There is no such thing as a bad omen." said the dark warrior. "There are only omens, how they turn out is up to the one interpreting them."

Van smiled. "Very true." he said. "However, I think that a full moon three days in a row is something to be worried about. This phenominon has happened only once in the known history of the world."

Ark looked at him curiously. "When was that?" he asked.

Van sighed. "The fall of the Old Kingdom." he said. "While Archon's death was needed, after he died the whole kingdom collapsed. Nearly the entire world went down with him." he finished.

Ark scratched his head curiously. "What exactly happened to the old kingdom?" he asked. "Since I was brought to this island I wasn't really taught much about history." he said.

Van looked down at the snow on the ground. "There was a great king in the far past named Archon. This was before Albion was ever even thought of." he said as he turned to face the warrior. "He loved his people, and they loved him. However, there was an incident in the city. A woman that was believed to be dead had come back to life." he said.

Ark's eyes widened. "How?" he asked.

"Nobody knows. All we do know is that when she came back, the king went to see her immediately, thinking her an angel of some sort sent from the gods. When she saw him, she began to babble about a great darkness coming to the land and swallowing the kingdom. Afterwards, she immediately died." he said. Ark stayed in silence at the odd tale. "The king, thinking that some evil creature was going to come and destroy the kingdom, sought out after a legendary blade like no other to battle the creature with."

"You mean...the Sword of Aeons?" asked Ark. Van nodded.

"Yes, he searched for years before finally finding the blade of legend." said the mage. He looked the warrior in the eyes and crossed his arms. "He didn't realize the truth behind the blade and brought it back to the kingdom to prepare for battle. However, the beast never showed. The kingdom went on with its king wielding a sword made of dark magic. Nobody noticed that slowly, the sword began to change the king. He became more violent, executing people for petty crimes. He sat on his throne, planning the domination over the planet. His people started to worry, thinking that he would bring destruction upon them."

"So they fought back?"

Van nodded again. "They took up arms and began to rebel against the king as he grew more and more corrupt. The final straw was when he killed his own wife for speaking against him. The people of the city fought against their king, who used the magic of the sword to fight back against them. The war was written with the blood of the citizens as nobody stood a chance. Nobody, until a warrior came from the woodland wielding a glowing white sword. He fought against Archon and brought the king to his knees, then pulled the Sword of Aeons from his hands and destroyed the corrupted man."

Ark nodded. "This part actually sounds familiar. I think that Maze or Scythe may have mentioned it before..." said the dark warrior.

"Probably. It's hard to believe that anyone in Albion hasn't heard of the descending of Avo." said the mage, getting a startled reaction from the warrior.

"You mean...the man from the woodland was...?" Van nodded before he even finished the sentence. "I thought that Avo..."

"When he defeated Archon, Avo was believed by the people to be some sort of god, or an angel sent to free them. So today we have believers and temples built in dedication to Avo, the god. However, history reads that Avo was just a man who wielded extraordinary power and skill. How he came to get this power, nobody knows. But one thing is for sure, that Avo is a man."

"I see...so what happened after he defeated Archon?" asked the dark warrior curiously.

"After his victory, Avo took the Sword of Aeons and covered it in Archons blood. He then disappeared from the country with the sword, neither of them ever to be heard from again until Jack came. He uncovered the swords hiding place using the key from the monastary, which was probably made by the monks to conceal the sword. Avo himself probably placed the sword in the stone on a hill overlooking a town, sealing it with the blood of Archon so that no other but the bloodline of Archon could pull it from its place."

"So, Jack used Lyle to free the sword...but didn't realize that he still wasn't powerful enough to free himself?" asked the warrior.

"Jack never stood a chance." said Van as he began walking away from the spot they were standing in. "Jack may have had the sword, but he underestimated Lyle's power. As strong as Jack's puppets may be, they couldn't stand up to him." he finished.

"So...this great evil the woman from Old Kingdom spoke of was the sword..." said Ark. "Wielding the power to corrupt any man who holds it." said Ark as he followed the mage.

Van nodded. "And the story lends us a great lesson." he said as the warrior looked at him. "Any man who tries to change his fate, may find that he was the cause." he said. "That's why Jack kept his face covered, because he found out his fate. And because of it, his plan failed. One person saw his face, and it was that person who would kill him."

Ark nodded. "Lyle..." he said as they both entered the tavern. It was nearly empty as they arrived seeing as most of the town had been evacuated. However, there were still heroes inside, enjoying the meal put out by the innkeeper.

Lyle and Alex sat at a table with Cara and Thunder, while Michael and Kiko sat with Elizabeth, Toran, and Zerga. Even Briar Rose was present in the tavern, standing in the corner alone as usual, scanning the crowd through her clouded glasses. Ark walked over and pulled a chair up next to Cara and Lyle as Van sat next to Thunder.

"So, what's the plan now?" asked Thunder as he set his large drink down.

Lyle took his feet off the table and sat up straight as the entire tavern hushed and gathered around him. "Simple enough, although I think things may get a lot more complicated once the gate is actually open." said the warrior. "Once everybody is off the island, which should be by tomorrow night, we head for the gate. Some of us will be stationed in the city in case things turn for the worse. That way, they can go through the cullis gate and destroy it, buying time for those elsewhere." he said.

"Who will be doing that?" asked Cara curiously.

"That job goes to Elizabeth." he said. "We need somebody who is strong enough with magic to destroy the gate...and someone strong enough to lead the people if we fail..." he said. Elizabeth's eyes softened, before she stared at him and nodded.

"I won't fail. But how do I know when to act?" she asked.

"Believe me, you will know." said Lyle as he turned to Van and Ark. "You two will be with me, as well as Scythe and Thunder when the gate opens. I'll need all the help I can get, especially if Jack is stronger than before." he said.

"What about me?" asked Alex.

"You and Cara will be watching us from afar. If things turn for the worst, go and warn Elizabeth. The rest of us will fight with everything we have." he said as he looked down at the table. Turning to the newcomer, his gaze darkened. "You, are you prepared to fight to the death for this cause?" he asked.

Toran's eyes widened when he realized that Lyle was talking to him. "O-Of course." he said standing up in his red armor. "Whatever it takes, I'll fight with you all to destroy Jack of Blades." he said proudly with a fist over his heart. Lyle smirked.

"Good. I'm glad to see I wasn't the last good hero the guild put out." he said, getting a shove from Cara.

"Very funny Mr. Almighty Saber." said the girl as she crossed her arms over the table.

He laughed, as did the others. "I'm kidding." he said. "Although, when Maze died, I kinda did worry that the guild might fall apart because of it. Though I now see I had nothing to worry about." he said, looking from Toran to Cara.

"Wait...what about us?" asked Michael as he stepped forward with Zergan next to him. "We are here to fight also."

"I know you are..." said the hero as he placed a hand on the boys shoulder. "I'm afraid you have the hardest job of all..." he claimed as everyone looked at them. "Michael, I'm asking you to go with the people back to the guild and to protect them."

The young boy looked dumbfounded by the remark. "But...I can fight just fine! Why can't I...?" he questioned, however, he was cut off.

"Michael, I know you can fight. I trained you myself, as well as Van and Elizabeth." he said, getting a startled look from the mages. "Yes, I knew." he said turning his head towards them. "It was kinda obvious when he was using spells I never taught him." he said smirking, then turned back to the boy. "It's because you can fight, that I want you to protect them. If all of us can't beat Jack, then I need somebody who can protect the people from harm." he said, squeezing the boys shoulder. "This is not something I would ask someone who can't fight to do."

Michael lowered his head in defeat and sighed. "I understand. I'll do my best." said the young boy.

Lyle smiled slightly. "Good. Now, you..." said Lyle as he pointed to the boy a few years older than Michael. "Uhhh..."

The young man reached up and scratched his short blond hair in defeat. "Zerga..." he said.

"Right, Zerga. You will stay with Michael and help him and Elizabeth." he said, getting a shrug and a nod from the young hero.

"Never did see myself as the front line type." he said as he sat down again.

"Now, that leaves the rest of the guild heroes." said Lyle as everyone else perked up. "I need all of you to have our back. You are only to interfere if we end up dying." he said referring to himself and the other four.

"That's fine with us." said a female voice from the corner. They all looked at Briar Rose, who had a confident smirk on her face. "It's been a while since I've seen you fight hero. It's about time you did something again." she said. Lyle smirked back.

"My vacation aside, it's nice to be doing something again." he said. "Now, you can lead them how you like Rose, however remember that they aren't to attack until we go down." he said, getting a nod from her. "Alright, that should be it..." he said, when suddenly another voice cut him off.

"Thinking about leaving us out are you? I think not." said a voice from the door. Everyone turned towards the entrance and noticed two figures standing there. One was Theresa, wearing light silver colored armor over her torso, as well as matching greaves and arm covers. Her sword gleamed at her side as she looked at the room through a white blindfold that covered her scarred eyes.

The other was a woman in a red hooded robe. She had a giant axe held in her hand as she removed the hood, revealing his mother, Scarlett. Her now graying hair flowed down to her shoulders and she wore a ruby circlet that matched her robe. Lyle was speecheless.

"M...Mom?" he asked.

She smiled. "That's right. Forgot that your old mother was a hero didn't you?" she asked as she lifted the broad double-headed axe over her shoulder like it was made of wood.

"But...you can't fight..." said the warrior, when suddenly he found himself hurled across the floor. Scarlett's palm glowed with force energy as she lowered her hand with a smile. The hero got to his feet and stretched his neck out painfully. "I stand corrected." he said as he walked to the table again, ignoring the sniggering of those around him. "Alright, you two can help..." he said. "But, be careful...I've lost both of you once. I don't plan on doing it again." he said.

Theresa smiled. "Don't worry brother. We are more than capable of fighting." she said.

"That covers everyone..." said the hero as he stood up. "Tomorrow, we open the gate, and unleash hell onto Snowspire. This started out as my plot of revenge against the man that burned my village down and took my family away. But now, it's no longer my fight. It's our fight. Jack isn't my enemy. He is our ememy, and he will destroy everything in Albion if he is not destroyed here tonight." he said looking at all of them.

Finally, after a short silence, he smiled. "I am standing amongst some of the greatest heroes of all time. If you ask me, Jack doesn't stand a chance." he said, getting a cheer from the crowd. "Let's all prepare ourselves. Because tomorrow, we show the world that men do not fear hell! But hell, should fear men!" he shouted, raising his large glave into the air. Everybody in the tavern did the same and cheered loudly for the hero, for their fearless leader.

One figure however stood silent amongst the excited crowd. She looked at the ground through her clouded glasses as she patted the object hidden and wrapped at her side. With a smile, she whispered to herself, "Tomorrow it is..."


	23. The Fiery Serpent

OoO( 23 )OoO

All of the heroes stood before the cullis gate in the center of the town as they saw off the last remaining townsfolk. Lyle stood, holding a young girl as she hugged him tightly. He smiled down at her and stroked her hair gently as the girls companions went through the gate. They smiled at Lyle and waved as the small troupe left.

The warrior looked down at the girl that hugged him and he knelt down, gently brushing the hair from her face. "Hey...don't worry alright? I'm not going to die here. And as soon as I'm finished, I'm going to come and perform with you for the guild members." he said looking into her tear stained eyes.

She sniffled before mumbling, "Promise?" she asked. Lyle nodded and hugged her back. She cradled his head gently before leaving through the gateway with the rest of her companions. Lyle turned to Michael, who was staring at him intently.

Walking over to the boy who was only up to his shoulders, he held out his hand. Michael reached up and clasped his hand tightly, signifying their bond as brothers. "You are no longer a student. You are now a guardian." he said, getting a nod from the young man. "Always remember what it is you fight for." he said.

"And you always remember who it is you fight for." said the young hero. "Remember that you aren't allowed to die, because if you do I'll come back here and kill you." he said, making the warrior laugh.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You still have to beat me in a duel before I let you become a full hero." he said. "Now, go and defend those people. They need someone to look up to." he finished. Michael smirked, then nodded and turned to the gateway. The light swallowed him and his large spear as he was transported across the country.

Lyle turned to Elizabeth, who stood next to the gateway. She nodded to him. "I'll be praying for your safe return." she said to them. Van walked forward and hugged her tightly, before kissing her.

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon enough." he said, then turned to the others, and noticing a strange look on Lyle's face. "What's the matter with you?" he asked.

The hero shrugged. "Don't know, guess I'm just not used to you two being married yet." he said smiling.

Van smirked and crossed his arms. "Well, don't even think about it because she's taken." said the mage smartly. Lyle held his hands up in defense.

"Take it easy." said the hero. Turning to the others, he nodded to them. "You all know where you belong. Lets end this quickly so we can celebrate with our families." he said. They all cheered, and moved to their locations.

Ark turned to Scarlett and Theresa with a smile. "Well, lets hope we can have a nice family reunion after this." he said, getting a hug from the older woman.

"I'm sure it will be a night to remember." she said. "It's been so long since I've seen you, I thought you had died so long ago."

"Well, lets hope tonight doesn't finish the job." he said nervously.

OoOoO

The wind blew strong as the night wore on. The sun hadn't been seen in days, hidden behind dark clouds in the day and replaced by a perfect full moon at night. The wind, though devoid of snow still bit coldly at the army as they headed to the ruins on the other side of the island. It seemed that the closer they got to the tomb where Jack was hidden, the less and less snow and plantlife there was to be found.

Lyle stepped over the hill and looked forward at their goal. It was a large gateway built in the middle of countless dead ruins. The land seemed somehow, hollow. There was no life, no twittering of birds, no flowers or trees, nothing. Ark stood next to him and looked at the grim scenery.

"Makes you realize what we are up against, huh?" asked the dark warrior.

"It does. But we aren't faultering now." he said as he continued down the hill. Cara and Alex stared at the destroyed ruins from their perch on a large tower. Nobody had any idea what was going to come out of the gate once it was opened. But nobody cared, they knew that whatever came out was going to be destroyed.

"It's almost time." said Alex, getting a look from Cara.

"Time to let the demon loose..." said the younger girl.

"Time to end what started over ten years ago." said the beautiful bowmaster.

OoOoO

The last orb was placed in the gateway, and they all three began to glow brightly. The door came to life with glowing runes and symbols as the three orbs darkened. A loud mechanical movement could be heard from within the massive door, before the glyphs finally faded. The huge gateway cracked, then swung open.

Lyle and the others stared into the darkness, knowing what was inside the portal. The hero was the first to step forward. He entered the darkness, slowly followed by the others. The tunnel was vast as they all moved forward, feeling a sweltering heat coming from in front of them. Lyle was suddenly aware of the sound of running footsteps. In the darkness, he couldn't see who it was, however someone had just run past them.

"What the hell?" asked Van.

"I don't know, but whoever that was is suicidal if they think they can take Jack alone." said Lyle, then they all began to run through the tunnel until finally they emerged into a large chamber that had been heated by pools of lava. They stopped when they saw who ran past them.

"Briar...Rose?" asked Van.

"What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with the reinforcements." said Thunder.

The woman turned around and had a smile on her face. "Fools..." she said as she reached the top of the stairs. The heroes watched her as she removed something from her side.

"Where is she going?" asked Ark. But nobody answered. They all quickly moved up the stairs after her, when suddenly they were stopped in their tracks. "Uhhh...Lyle..." said Ark as his eyes widened.

"No way..." said Van unbelievably as he stared at the scene in front of him.

"You know...my history is kinda rusty, but one thing I do remember is that dragons are extinct right?" asked Ark.

"Of course they are!" said Lyle, believing himself to be hillucinating. "It can't be..."

Thunders jaw dropped. "Then what the hell is that?" asked the dark knight as he pointed to a large scaley body laying across the hot cavern floor. Briar rose stopped in front of the body and knelt down.

Lyle ran forward. "What the hell are you doing! Get away from that thing!" he shouted as he dashed to stop her.

"Lyle! Stay away from her!" shouted Scythe as he watched from behind them all with fear in his eyes. "She isn't who you think she is!"

The warrior stopped and felt the blood in his system run cold as the woman held up the object that was hidden at her side.

It was the mask of Jack of Blades. She held it up to her face, covering her smiling features before turning and placing the mask on the forehead of the innert dragon. The mask sank into the scales and solidified among them before the air inside the cavern shifted and blew out the tunnel.

The woman turned to the others and fell to her knees before looking up. The warrior noticed that her demeanor changed rapidly. She now looked scared. "Lyle...I'm...sorry..." she said. Suddenly, everyones attention turned to the large serpentine body behind her. It rose from its prone position, climbing on all four of its massive scaley legs.

"You played your part well woman..." said a voice dripping with evil. She turned and looked up with tears in her eyes as the fiery golden eyes of the red scaled dragon stared down at her. "But I'm afraid you are no longer useful to me." he said. Lyle ran forward as he reared his head back, but he didn't make it in time.

"Noooooooo!" shouted the hero as the dragon unleashed a fire that scorched the air and swallowed the woman, instantly incinerating her body and reducing it to ash. The heroes all had to cover their faces as the heat almost overwhelmed them. "Damn you!" shouted Lyle as he glared at the dragon.

The serpent looked at the hero, and it almost seemed as if it was smiling. Suddenly, the reptile erupted into maniacal laughter. "Lyle the Saber. My my, hasn't it been a long time." he said as he stepped forward. Lyle stepped backwards towards the others as the dragon moved towards him. "If I recall, the last time we spoke, you took what was rightfully mine."

Lyle smirked. "I took your life, if that's what you mean." he said, getting a glare from the dragon. "Tell me Jack, how does it feel to be defeated by a mere human?"

A low rumbling came from the throat of the giant beast. "As foolish as ever." said Jack as he continued to walk forward. "To show such disrespect even in the face of certain annihilation. Only that fool Maze had the nerve to do such a thing, but I see he has passed the trait on." he said. "No matter, now that I have the souls from this mask, I am at my full power. You stand no chance."

"From the mask?" asked Scythe, seemingly confused.

"You didn't realize it old man?" asked Jack before laughing to himself. "This mask was my connection to the outside world. It collected souls for me, fed me and kept me alive, as well as controlled my puppets. If you had wanted the threat of me truly gone, you had only to destroy this mask." he said with a wicked draconic smile. "But now, it's too late. All the souls collected over the last 400 years by this mask are now mine. And I will use them to destroy you all!" yelled the beast before roaring loudly. The sound echoed off the walls, shaking the very foundation of the cavern.

Lyle noticed the dragon rear its head back again, then turned and shouted, "RUN! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" The others followed his orders and fled from the cave, back into the ruined city. Jack unleashed a wave of fire that swallowed the chamber and enveloped Lyle.

When the fire vanished, Jack noticed that the hero was standing with a magical shield protecting him. The serpent quickly turned and lashed out with its tail, hammering the hero off into the darkness of the night.

Lyle gasped painfully as he flew and hit the ground out in front of everyone. Thunder helped him to his feet as the draco flew out of the cave and took to the air, laughing loudly. "Freedom! Finally, I'm free!" it shouted as it landed heavily on the ground. Turning to the others, it smiled evilly as the battle began amongst the ruined city.

OoOoO

Alex and Cara's eyes widened in horror when they saw the monstrosity appear from the cavern. "W-What the hell is that?" asked Cara.

"It's Jack...but he..." she said as fear gripped her. Her eyes traced the body of the serpent. It stood at least twenty feet tall, towering over the heroes like a giant. It's behemoth structure was unlike anything she had ever seen. "Jack is...a dragon?" she asked.

OoOoO

Elizabeth's heart began to race as she heard the loud roar from the other side of the island. She looked off into the distance before closing her eyes tightly. "Please Van...Lyle...everyone. Please be safe..." she said.

Her eyes opened wide when she heard the gateway behind her flare up. She turned around in time to see a figure wearing all black, with long black hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face. She looked startled as more figures appeared from the gate, wearing the same all black uniforms, before vanishing with unrivaled speed.

The man walked up to her and stopped, staring into her eyes. Another loud roar ripped across the landscape as the battle raged between man and beast. The man looked up as Elizabeth thrust a palm alight with electricity into his gut. However, the man didn't even flinch. Looking down, he pulled her arm away, before he too vanished into the darkness with speed like the wind.

"W...What...?" she asked stunned as she looked around. The area was again silent.


	24. Lost Again

OoO( 24 )OoO

The battle had begun in the ruined city as the heroes attacked the beast ferociously. However, his scales were as hard as steel, and his breath burned like acid. The dragon flew over the city, chasing each of the attacking heroes like it was a game of cat and mouse.

He looked and spotted Thunder dash off into an alley and he swooped down after the dark knight. Lyle hid beside the building in waiting as he heard the flapping from Jack's wings. Hoping his timing was right, he hurled himself out with force magic, slamming into the dragons head. Stunned, the demon flew at a slanted angle and smashed head first into an empty building, bringing it down on top of him.

The large dragon pulled himself out of the rubble and roared angrily. He shot a cone of fire in the heroes direction, devouring the building Lyle was hiding on and causing the hero to jump from one to another. While he was distracted with Lyle, Thunder snuck up on the dragon and jumped on his back, slicing through the leathery folds of his left wing.

Jack's tail immediately flew up and smashed against the dark knight, sending him crashing through the weakened wall of a building. Lyle and Ark both glared, then jumped to attack with their large blades. Lyle jumped from a nearby building as Ark flew from ground level and slashed at the tempered scales.

Jack smirked and reached around with his neck, grabbing Ark and smashing him into a building. Lyle landed on the ground and turned, watching as Jack crushed Ark. "Damn it...will nothing affect him?" he asked himself.

Turning to the hero, Jack opened his mouth. "I've waited a long time for this boy." he said as he reared his head back. Fire began to smoulder inside his throat, when suddenly, a massive lightning bolt flew and scored in the reptiles mouth, electricuting it from the inside. The dragon roared loudly as it felt the energy coursing through its scaled body.

Lyle looked up and noticed Van, alive with energy, firing the massive spell towards the beast. Taking his chance, the hero ran under the dragons legs and managed to pull Ark from the rubble of the building. The dark warrior shook the stars from his head as he stood again. "Damn..." he said as his grip on his blade tightened again.

OoOoO

Alex and Cara watched as the heroes fought bravely against the giant dragon. Cara's fists were clenched tightly as she watched from a distance. "We have to help them..." she said frustrated. She already knew what the answer was going to be.

"We can't, we told them we would stay here." said Alex, her bow at her side. "If we help them, and we end up dying, they will never forgive themselves."

"I'll never forgive myself if they die..." said the younger girl, feeling helpless.

"I know...but we must wait." said Alex as she looked on.

OoOoO

Jack laughed evilly at the heroes as the all attacked him simultaneously from different locations. "Fools, how unkind to attack one with so many. Maybe I should even the odds!" he shouted, then flew up into the air. All the heroes looked up at the demon as it roared loudly. Suddenly, they noticed a loud screeching coming from the cave.

Turning to the entrance, Ark's eyes widened as he and the rest saw a massive amount of shadow minions dashing from the cave. "Lyle...we have a problem." said the dark warrior.

The hero gritted his teeth together. "I know...dammit." he said. Suddenly, someone stepped in front of him.

"You boys take care of Jack." said Scarlett as she walked towards the dark army. "You leave them to us." she said as Theresa, Toran, and the others from the reinforcements joined her.

"But...mother..." he said.

"No buts, now do as your mother says!" she yelled as her large axe began to spin rapidly in her hand, creating a whirlwind of death. She charged into the army of darkness, clearing a path through them with her whirling axe as Theresa moved like the wind, slashing her foes with one strike each. The others clashed against the large army along with Thunder.

"Looks like we get the big one." said Lyle as he looked at the giant dragon floating in the air.

"Seems that way." sighed Ark.

"Don't leave me out of this." said Van as he smirked. "So, whats the first order of business?" he asked.

"I guess getting him out of the air." said Ark. "But, how to do that?"

"I'll take care of it." said Van with a smile. "Just stand there and watch." he said.

OoOoO

Jack flapped his wings rapidly to keep himself in the air as he watched the battle below. He smirked to himself as he watched the clash of the two armies. "Foolish heroes. My dark army keeps coming back when you destroy them." he said, then he looked down at the three standing still. His eyes widened when he saw a massive fireball appear above one of the three.

The fire shot strait up into the air and vanished briefly before flying down and colliding with him. He flew to the ground engulfed in fire, before impacting with a collosal explosion.

Ark and Lyle looked on wide eyed as the fireball suckerpunched the dragon out of the air. "How did..." mumbled Lyle as he watched on in shock.

"Remember your little ground punch trick? Well, I learned one quite the opposite." he said. "It came from an old hero named Rockjon." he said. "Now, lets take care of him quickly." he said as his body lit up with magic.

Lyle and Ark nodded and prepared as well. All three of them charged at the beast as it climbed out of the debris growling angrily. It's amber eyes focused on the three before they split up. Van shot another blast of lightning across the monsters face, causing it to flinch before shooting fire again. The mage barely dodged the attack, rolling out of the way and behind one of the buildings.

Lyle jumped from a structure he had just climbed and aimed his blade straight down. Using all his weight, he sank the blade halfway into the demons chest. Immediately the dragon roared and reached around with its serpentine neck, grabbing the hero with its teeth and flinging him through a nearby window. Lyle smashed through a wall and landed face down with blood dripping from his mouth. He gritted his teeth and stood again.

Ark dove forward and grabbed the handle of the blade that lay buried in the dragons body, then shot magic forward through the weapon. The demon focused on him and snapped at him with its razor sharp fangs, causing him to let go of the weapon. The beast went to attack the hero, but was stunned momentarily as a lightning bolt hit the weapon again. Van forced his magic into the blade, giving Ark enough time to get out of stomping range. But Van wasn't able to dodge the next attack.

The dragon lurched forward and shot fire from his mouth again, hitting the mage directly. Van yelled loudly in pain before collapsing on the ground. Ark ran to him and pulled him away from the battle as Lyle took his turn and hit the dragon in the face with a fireball.

The mage coughed loudly, his breathing heavily labored. "Help...him.." he said.

Ark growled, grabbing his blade and forcing himself to leave the hero where he lay. Lyle landed next to Ark as he jumped down from a ledge. "Is he alright?" he asked as he watched the dragon shake the blindness caused by the fireball from his eyes.

"He shielded himself in time to keep it from killing him, but he's out. If we don't get him help soon he could die." said the dark warrior. Lyle nodded, then ran forward again. But, the dragon caught him with a blind swipe of its tail, smashing him into the wall of the building in front of it. Ark took his chance and dashed at the beast. Jumping into the air, he used the buried sword as a booster and launched himself at the demons head. When he was close enough he threw all of his weight into a slash that cut deep into its eye.

Jack roared in pain as its right eye was completely destroyed by the attack. "You will die maggot!" shouted the demon. Ark landed on the building to the left and turned to defend himself, but the dragons entire head smashed him through the roof and onto the floor below. Ark screamed as his leg became trapped underneath the debris.

The dragon flew into the air and smirked. "Now, you die!" he shouted as he unleashed a hellish blast of fire. Ark held his hands in front of him as the fire engulfed the entire building, causing it to explode horrendously. Lyle stood again, more blood spilling from his mouth as he coughed.

"Damn it..." he said, his hands now shaking. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over at the area where Van lay hidden. Cara stood wide eyed, staring at the building she just saw destroyed with Ark inside it. Tears ran down her pale beautiful face as she looked at the ground.

"My teacher...and now...my love..." she said.

"Cara! What the hell are you doing! Get out of here!" he shouted as the dragon took notice of her.

"What's this?" asked Jack looking down at the young girl. "Another foolish hero?" he asked smirking.

The girls tears flowed rapidly as she looked back up at the dragon. Chills went through his spine as Lyle saw her eyes were completely black. "What the hell?" he asked. The girl raised both arms into the air and began chanting to herself loudly. The hero looked up into the air where a large black orb began to form.

"What is this?" asked Jack as he noticed it as well. It grew in size until it was easily bigger than he was. Lyle walked towards the girl, who was seemingly possessed by her rage, before looking up again at the massive spell she created. He felt the wind change as the spell stopped growing. It all began to flow towards the sphere of dark energy.

The dragon suddenly panicked as it felt itself being pulled towards the black hole. It turned and began to fly away from it, but couldn't. Slowly, but surely, he was drawn backwards into the pit. "What the hell is this!" shouted Jack as the void swallowed him whole. The girl closed her fists, causing the dark magic to collapse in on itself, creating a massive dark matter explosion that sent the beast soaring and crashing into a nearby building.

The girls arms fell to her side as her silent tears fell from her face. Suddenly, she collapsed into the snow. Lyle grabbed her and began running as fast as he could manage. Grabbing Van as well, he carried them both to safety before turning back. Unfortunately, the dragon wasn't dead yet. He roared furiously as he charged at Lyle with pure rage filling his veins.

"I will destroy you all!" he shouted as he unleashed a fire ball the tore through all in its path. The hero was about the dodge, then looked down at his allies. If he moved, they would die.

He glared at the dragon and used his own magic to create an attack similar to the demons. "Damn you Jack!" he shouted and fire the attack, causing the two to collide. The resulting explosion caused a row of buildings on either side to collapse. The force of the attack threw Lyle backwards, landing him straight on his back.

The dragon landed right in front of the hero, laughing insanely, its one eye glaring at the hero. "What's the matter hero? No special attacks saved for me? No last resort?" asked the wicked serpent.

"Go to hell..." said Lyle as he tried to get to his feet. The dragon lifted its leg and stomped on the hero, causing him to go flat once again. Lyle screamed aloud as pain coursed through his body.

"Yes...scream again boy." said the demon as it began to grind the hero beneath its massive claws. "Scream some more! Your agony soothes me!" he shouted. Suddenly, pain erupted in the dragons jaw as a large arrow sank deep into it. After a loud shriek of pain, the dragon looked forward and noticed Alex standing their holding her shining bow. The beast took its foot off of the hero and glared. "And who are you?" he asked.

Lyle turned on his stomach and yelled loudly. "Alex! Get out of here!" he shouted. "Please...!"

Jack looked down at the hero, then back at the girl. A wicked grin covered his features. "I see now. You are his woman." said the demon. Alex looked up at the beast with a sad defiance in her eyes.

"Alex! Go! Now!" he shouted, tears beginning to pour from his eyes.

"I'm sorry Lyle...I waited as long as I could." she said. She knew she wasn't fast enough to escape the dragons attack. The area she was in was a long alley with high walls, and wouldn't be able to escape the narrow pathway in time to avoid the dragons fire. She didn't turn however, she merely stood staring at the beast as it moved towards her.

"Let's see how the hero feels as he watches his love die." said Jack as it reared its head back. Alex pulled her bowstring back and fired one last time as the dragon unleased its fire. The arrow flew and struck the dragon in the throat, causing it to rear its head back, smashing it through a building.

"ALEX! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted the warrior as he got to his feet and used every ounce of energy he could muster to run to her. When the fire cleared, there was nothing in the alley. Everything was charred and burned black. Lyle ran to the spot where Alex had been standing and fell to his knees, seeing the weapon handle of the archers sacred weapon. Taking the object in his hand, his tears released everything he had held back. All of the emotions he kept inside.

OoOoO

Scarlett took Cara in her arms as other of the heroes helped carry Van. The mage had regained consciousness, while the apprentice was still wiped out from her overuse of magic. Scarlett looked at the one who rescued them with curiosity.

"Wasn't she supposed to be on the signal tower?" she asked.

The warrior nodded. "Yes, she was." said Ark.

"She came when she saw us getting tossed around." said Van in a strained voice. "By the time she got there, I was charred and unconscious, and Ark was inside the building Jack had just decimated. She lost it." he said.

Ark nodded. "I didn't realize I meant that much to her." he said brushing the hair from her gorgeous pale face. "I'll have to thank her when we destroy that monster." said the warrior as he drew his glave from his back. "I know you are busy with the army and all, but can you get someone to take care of them while I'm away?" he asked. Scarlett nodded.

"They will be cared for." she said as the man in black armor turned and ran back towards the battlefield, his cloak billowing in the wind. Scarlett smiled as she watched him go. "He will be a great leader someday." she said.

Ark ran towards the previous war grounds when he heard Lyle yelling over the sounds of battle. "Alex?" he said to himself. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Oh no..." With that, he ran faster. The scene he arrived to was one of shock and horror. Lyle was on his knees, cradeling the weapon handle of Alex's bow in his hands. "Avo help us..." he said as he saw the look on the heroes face.

Lyle looked up at the dark warrior as he clutched the hilt in his hand.

OoOoO

Everyone on the battlefield, whether fighting the war against the dark minions, or watching from a post further off, stopped in their place. Even the shadow army of Jack stopped in their tracks. The ground underneath them began to shake violently as everybody heard one thing carry over the wind.

"!"


	25. The Princess' Story

OoO( 25 )OoO

She felt the wind pass her rapidly as she lay in darkness. Clutching her hands to her chest, her tears flowing gently as memorys flooded through her mind of her love. She aimed her small bow at the target in front of her, concentrating on the red mark on the target. As she began to release the arrow, a nearby friend shrieked in terror at a beatle crawling from the woodwork. The arrow flew from her startled hands off into the guild grounds.

She panicked and ran as fast as she could, chasing the projectile to make sure nobody was hurt. Watching as it flew towards a young bystander, she yelled out, "Hey! Watch your head!" He looked at her with those piercing eyes and she felt her heart flutter gently. The boy looked up, then ducked, covering his head as the arrow hit the stone steps and shattered. Shaking from her trance, she ran over to him. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Standing straight again, the boy checked to see if the arrow had hit him. After feeling confident he didn't have a shaft sticking out of him, he looked at her and glared. "Am I okay! You nearly beheaded me with that arrow!" he shouted. She held the bow behind her back and looked at the ground, her stomach sinking with guilt. However, after a moment, the boy replied with a smile. "Yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, I just woke up." he said.

Normally a shy girl, she looked up and smiled. "I see. Well, my name is Alex. What's yours?" she asked, getting the fluttering feeling in her stomach again.

The boy held out his hand eagerly and said proudly, "Lyle, nice to meet you Alex." She couldn't tell anyone now why she did it. But her heart seemed to take control of her body as the she leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek.

Realizing what she had done, she blushed madly. "Nice to meet you too. I hope to see you around more often." she said, then turned and ran, berating herself. "What's wrong with you! What did you do that for?" she asked herself as she ran into her teacher.

The man stood tall, his blonde hair reaching his shoulders. His robes bore colors of red and black, the sign of the royal family from a far away land. The girl looked up at him and smiled. He looked back at her and smiled back. "Hello little sister." he said as he elegantly knelt down and hugged the young girl. "Why are you running so fast?" he asked curiously.

She thought back to the boy again, but decided against telling him about the encounter. "Uhh...just in a hurry for my lessons." she said as she held her hands behind her back. She felt awkward lying, as she had never lied before. But he either didn't notice, or didn't press the matter.

"Is that right, well, let us be off then." he said as he took her to the archer yard again.

OoOoO

She stood in the chamber of the guild, with the three others next to her. She stood proudly next to him as the guild seal was placed around her neck. She had proved herself worthy of being a hero, something she had longed to do for a while.

When she arrived, she didn't much care for the guild or its training. As a princess, she was sent to the guild to gain status and honor among the heroes. Her parents believed that no ruler, whether man or woman should ever receive their title without being able to defend themself and their country. She had made a few friends, but altogether didn't feel like she could become the great hero that her mother and father wanted.

She went through her training days, doing as she was told. She learned the bow, as did all her family. Her kingdom was famous for its archers, and if she was to lead one day, she would have to become more skilled than anyone. However, she felt no drive to exceed. She felt as if she stood out, like a lighthouse against the night sky. Nobody in the guild, save for Maze and the guildmaster knew of her heritage, but she still felt she didn't belong.

Her brother, his body sick and dying before he was able to reach the throne, decided to come to Albion and train her himself in the art of archery. She felt some solace in having him there with her, but it didn't dull the feeling she had. Only on that day, the day she met him, did that feeling start to fade. She ran after the arrow and as soon as her soft green eyes met his piercing blue, she felt sparks of life begin to light up her dark world.

She saw him, proud, calm, courageous. He was a young boy, determined to become the greatest hero in all the land. She saw him train, and those sparks turned to a flame. Eventually, the flame grew so bright and heated that it consumed her. She began to train as well, knowing that she could stand next to him in battle if she worked hard enough. Her brother was mildly surprised when her attitude towards being a hero changed. However, once he encountered the young boy, he could see the true meaning behind her eagerness. He smiled his unspoken consent and continued to work with her.

Now, she was here, in the guilds sacred chamber, being handed the honor which she worked so hard to achieve. She noticed her brother smiling silently from the audience. She finally felt proud of her work. Sneaking a look over at the white haired hero, her smiled faded a bit. His eyes were set forward with a placid look on his face. At that moment, her heart sank. She knew that trying to be with him would be like trying to catch a riding horse.

Every move he made was forward, and she hoped that she could keep up. She wanted his attention so badly, feeling as if her life depended on it. There was only one thing she could think of that would get his attention and bring the riding horse to a stop. To become better than him. It was at that moment that she swore to become the greatest hero ever known. She set her own eyes forward, giving the world before her the same unyielding, conquering look that he had.

Together, they left the chamber and headed for the map room of the guild. The young man, who had once infuriated her to no end, now stood over the table looking happily through the guilds many job request cards. She smiled as she remembered years ago, when he and Lyle had been at each others throats. They seemed as if they were made to oppose each other. However, it seemed that overnight, they had become the best of friends. She knew of his feelings toward her, but knew that she could never feel the same about him.

"Well, we finally made it farmboy. What are you going to do now?" asked Whisper. Alex looked at her solemnly. She didn't know how she felt about the warrior. It seemed as if Lyle had become closer to her, which she felt grudgingly towards. However, she knew that there were no feelings between the two. At least, she thought there were no feelings.

"Not sure, I was a little shaken up in there." said the warrior to his friend. "I guess I'll grab my first mission. An easy one so I can get the hang of it." he said looking through the request cards.

"Yeah, we should all grab a mission." Alex said, hoping to be invited along to his. She began looking through the missions also, looking at one. A farmer needed help clearing his farm of hobbes that were stealing fruit from his orchard.

Van picked up a curious card that was dyed red. The red cards were meant for more experienced heroes, ones who had handled tough missions before. The red indicated an emergency that needed to be taken care of immediately. Smiling as he read the card, the young mage held it up smiling. "Here is one to destroy a snow troll at Hook Coast." he said eagerly.

Lyle and Whisper looked up at him skeptically. "That doesn't sound easy if you ask me..." said the warrior. Van smirked at him.

"You take your easy mission then, I'll take this one and put my skills to the real test. No more straw dummies for me." he said confidently as he pouched the card.

She felt herself tense up when she heard the reaction from Lyle. She knew this was her chance to get ahead. Maybe if she could defeat the snow troll, he would be impressed. Eagerly she turned to Van with a smile. "Me too! Can I come?" she asked hopefully.

Van, who was apparently surprised by the question, looked at Lyle. The warrior smirked and shrugged. Smiling at her, Van nodded. "Uhhh...sure. You'd be a great help." he said nervously.

Letting her excitement get the better of her, she cheered loudly. "Yeah! Alright snow troll! You're going down! You're facing an unbeatable team!" she said happily, hoping that the warrior was feeling somewhat jealous of her declaration. She looked at him however, and saw his smile. Instantly, her excitement died away, making way for the fluttering feeling again. She looked away in case she began to blush again.

After a bit more conversation, Van grabbed his guild seal and vanished, with the young woman following after him.

Soon after, the guild master came up to the table with Maze in tow, looking around the table. "Where the bloody hell did it go?" he asked as he searched the cards rapidly.

"What was it?" asked the mage curiously.

"There was a red card here that was sent by courrier. William told me he left it on the map table." said the bald man. Maze shrugged.

"Maybe they fixed whatever needed to be done." said the mage.

OoOoO

When they arrived at the town, all was chaos. The town was ravaged, buldings toppling over, houses destroyed, and bodies lying either unconscious or dead everywhere. Both of the heroes ran to find the snow troll roaring loudly as it backhanded the last of the towns guards, sending them flying through a building and out the other side.

Van immediately attacked the offender, shooting lightning from both hands. The magic hit the beasts face, startling it and causing it to fall backwards. Alex ran up behind him with her bow and smirked. "That wasn't hard." she said.

"It's not over yet..." said the mage as the creature began to rise. The troll raised a hand to cover its face from another attack and charged the both. Alex fired her arrows, but the projectiles either bounced off the beasts thick armor, or barely penetrated doing no damage. Van fired his lightning again, but with the trolls momentum, he couldn't stop it.

It charged forward and both heroes jumped out of the way as it swung at them. Van rolled to his feet again, his attacked charged and ready to fire when he saw an opening. Suddenly, the troll grabbed a large chunk of one of the stone buildings it had crushed and hurled it towards him. The mage ran forward and dove under the large stone block just in time, leaving it to gouge a long scar in the ground behind him.

As he got to his feet, he was met with the trolls massive swing flinging him several hundred feet backwards and causing him to roll across the ground. When he stopped, his entire body ached. He weakly rose to his feet to find the troll on top of him already. Try as he might, he couldn't dodge again. The massive fist collided with him and sent him crashing into the house, which collapsed in on itself from the shock.

Feeling a stinging in the back of its neck, the creature reached around and pulled a broken arrow out of its hide and turned around. Alex stood there with her bow, staring wide eyed at the creature. Part of the wall behind the troll collapse, showing Van's half buried body beneath the woodwork. He looked up at her despirately, blood spilling from his mouth. Using all of his strength, he shouted, "Alex! Run!" Finally, his body gave out and he went limp.

She stood there, not in defiance, but in fear. She felt warm tears start to flow down her face as the troll stomped its way towards her. She tried to move, but couldn't. Fear froze her body in place making her unable to do anything as she watched the monstrous creature lumber forth. When it reached her, it raised its fist and she closed her eyes. "Please...Lyle...help me..." she said silently, before the fist crushed her body with massive force. She lay, limbs broken on the ground, unable to even scream from the roaring pain in her body. She looked up through dim, almost drained eyes as the creature grabbed her and hurled her out across the waters edge.

The girl flew through the air, tears still flowing, even as she impacted a large stone jutting out of the sea, which instantly snapped her spine. Her head lolled to the side, her gaze empty as slowly she began to slide down the rock and below the water. It was that day that Alexandria died.

However, even though her body died, her spirit refused to allow itself to vanish. She was trapped beneath the water, suffocating painfully for what seemed an eternity before it ended. She sat in silence as a dark presence made itself known. The girl looked up at the darkness through empty eyes.

_"Do you wish to live?" _asked the void. She said nothing. _"Do you wish your suffering to end?" _it asked again. Again, she stayed silent, staring at cloud of darkness that her mind formed. _"Do you wish to see him again?" _it asked. Her eyes widened suddenly, causing a dark, sinister laugh to come from the darkness. _"Very good. I will grant your wish to see him again, but as long as you live, you will be my Harbinger." _it said to her.

OoOoO

When she awoke, she was face down in the sand. Water lapped at her legs, which were unmoving. Her entire body refused to respond to any command. She just laid there, silently tormented by the cold water as she drifted back to sleep.

Finally, after hours passed, she awoke to the sound of voices. "What in the hell?" said one voice as it approached her. She felt something pulled from her grip as another voice spoke.

"What'n Albion is that?" asked the other.

"It looks like...a bow." said the first voice. "What about the girl, is she alive?" he asked.

The man then turned her over, her tattered clothing now nearly shredded. "Aye, she's breathin." said the man as he looked at her. "What you think we should do?"

"I say we take this to the boss, seein' as he'd gut us both if he foud out we were hiding something like it from him. But I says we keep the girl for ourself."

The man standing over her let out a broken smile. "I like the way you think." he said, before lifting her out of the sand. They carried her limp and unmoving form away from the beach and into some form of fortress. When they stopped walking, the huddled together and began to speak silently. "So, what's the plan?" asked the man carrying her.

"Here's what we'll do. You take the girl to our tent while I take this here to the boss. He'll be too distracted by me to notice her. So you hide her there and I'll be back by after I've collected our reward." he said. The second man nodded and turned to leave, but was stopped. "And don't do nothing to her until I get there!" he said ferociously.

Grumbling angrily, the man carried her away into one of the many tents inside the camp ground. She was laid down on some form of makeshift bed inside the small covering. She silently watched as the man peeked outside the tent, then came back over to where she lay. "It'll be a while before he gets back. He won't know nothin." said the man as he began to tear what was left of the girls clothes off.

She protested in her mind, willing her body to move. But it refused for some unknown reason. He continued to greedily tear the already damaged clothing until she was completely naked. He stared at her with lust burning inside him like wildfire. He reached down and touched her body, when suddenly he was blinded by a glowing light from her back.

OoOoO

"And you say there was nothing else on the beach except for this bow?" asked the large bearded man. The minion nodded, rubbing his hands together greedily.

"Yes sire. Me and my brother found it washed up on the beach. I thought you would want to know about it." he said.

The large man looked across the dark wood of the massive bow. The weapon was too large for the average man, but was lighter than any bow he had ever felt. The handguard was a blood red color, making it stand out from the rest, but not taking anything away from how sinister the weapon felt. Taking up the bow, the bandit king took the string and tried to pull it back, but it refused to move. Jerking on it with all his strength, he failed to even move the cord.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "Why make a bow that doesn't shoot?"

Suddenly, the attention of the entire camp turned to the screaming of a man. He flew out of a tent, covered in fire and screaming for his life. He crawled around, trying to get help from anyone that he could, however nobody dared go near him. Finally, he fell over and the fire swallowed him until there was nothing left but a charred skeleton.

Rojack walked over to the scene and looked around. "Who did this!" he shouted. Nobody answered. "I demand to know who did this!"

His attention was grabbed by a young girl walking out of the tent in which the body had come. She was completely naked save for a glowing tattoo on her back. The bandit king approached her and knelt down to her height. She looked up into his eyes as he studied her young face. Finally, after a moment, he took his cloak off and wrapped it around her. Standing again, he walked over to the man who was now kneeling over his brothers charred remains.

Grabbing him by the throat, he lifted the smaller man off the ground and growled in his face. "Didn't find anything else at the beach huh?" he asked venomously. "Thought you could sneak by me did you?" he asked as he hurled the man to the ground. "Take him to the cross!" he shouted. Several guards dressed in black gear grabbed him and dragged him away screaming.

Alex walked forward and placed her hand on the bow in the large mans hand. He looked at her questioningly, then handed it to her, curious to see what she would do. Taking an arrow from someones quiver nearby, he handed it to her as well. Placing the arrow on the string, the girl pulled it back until the arrows head was against the bow, then released. A shockwave nearly knocked the entire camp off its feet as the arrow flew and destroyed the screaming man utterly, before he even had a chance to realize what had happened.

The guards that had been carrying him looked at each other in surprise, all of them covered in blood. Rojack looked at the carnage, then back at the girl. Kneeling down, he smiled. "What's your name?" he asked curiously. She looked at him silently, rolling the question around in her head. "You must have a name, right?" he asked.

She shook her head. He nodded, then spoke silently. "Then we will call you Angel." he said brushing the hair from her face. "My little Angel of Death."

OoOoO

It had been years since her arrival at the Dark Hands fortress. She hardly spoke to anyone in the base. She found herself wandering standing on one of the large archer towers of the base, dark weapon slung across her back. The chilled wind of the northern coast no longer affected her, allowing her to wear clothing that was unusual for the area.

She wore a short skirt with a long sleeve shirt that cut off above her stomach. She had gleaming silver armor, with feathery wings engraved into the chest covering her upper chest as well as matching armor around her waist. In her profession, armor wasn't necissary, especially at her skill level. She remembered back to her greatest known assassination yet, where she stood at the top of the lighthouse in Hook Coast and hit her target who stood inside the tavern across the town.

He was a buisness man, making him very methodical in his thinking and acting. Every night he went to the tavern at the same time to have drinks and flirt with the barmaid. Because of his perfect punctuality, a timed shot proved to be lethal. Her arrow flew like death itself and struck through the wall of the tavern, leaving very little of him to recognize.

She had no need for the armor, none of her targets or enemies could ever get close enough to her to require the use of the armor. She stood, watching over the silent, snowy hills of the northern country. It was the only thing that brought her peace these days. It was while she was gazing across the peaceful barren landscape, her ruffled clothing flowing with the wind, that she heard the scream.

Looking down at the gateway to the fortress, she saw a group of men dragging a large bag of loot, as well as a young girl with short blonde hair. The girl struggled heavily against her captors, but the man was one of the largest of the bandits in the camp, making her fight a futile one. The girl pulled violently as she was dragged by the wrist. Looking around, she spotted a rock on the ground. Grabbing the weapon, she jumped up and swung as hard as she could, impacting the mans skull and causing him to fall to his knees.

Even though he had been stunned, his grip didn't loosen at all. Turning, he raised his hand and smacked her harshly across the face. The girl slumped, her entire body tingling from the assault. The man was about to continue dragging her off into the camp, when he stopped in his tracks. In his path was a woman dressed in white and silver armor. Immediately, all of the mans companions cowered.

The man glared. "What do you want?" he asked irritated.

"Are you out of your mind?" asked one of his compatriots. "That's the kings top assassin!"

The man, whos scarred face made him the most intimidating among them, shoved the thief away. "Shut your gob. I don't care who she is!" he said and dragged the girl forward to get in the womans face.

"Let the girl go." said the assassin.

The man looked at her, then down at the stunned girl in his grip. Looking back at the woman, he smirked. "Didn't know she was your type." he said. Then he spat on the ground at her feet. "I don't care who you are, you aren't my boss and you aren't going to stop me from taking my rewards. Now get out of my way before I move you myself." said the bandit as he reached towards the assassin. The woman vanished, appearing on the other side of him.

The mans companions backed off in horror as the young girl fell to the ground. The bandit looked down at her, then looked where his hand used to be. Raising two bloody stumps, he had only a moment to realize what happened before blood sprayed from his neck. After only moments, the mans head fell completely off his body.

The bandit company immediately ran, leaving the bag of loot where it lay. Turning around, the woman knelt down and helped the young girl up. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The girl looked up in the womans face, her cheek swollen and tears in her eyes. Nodding slowly, she looked at the ground. "They killed my family." she said.

Angel leaned forward and hugged the girl tightly. "Don't worry young one." she said as she wiped the girls tears away. "I will be your new family. You can be my little sister." she said with a smile. "Will that be alright?"

The girl looked at her for a moment before smiling. Nodding enthusiastically, she scrubbed her tears away. "Thank you..." she said.

"What's your name little sister?" asked the woman.

"My name is Aerika." she said with a renewed smile.

"Well, Aerika, lets go get you some better clothes." she said as she stood and took the girls hand, leading her deeper into the camp.

OoOoO

Snow fell on the bandit camp as the horde worked its daily chores. The bandit company had almost doubled in size since the coming of its top assassin, making it an imposing shadow hovering over the land of Albion. However, the bandit leader wasn't stupid. He knew that attacking or sacking even the smallest settlement was an act of war. And when there was war, heroes became involved, a risk he wasn't willing to take.

One hero in particular had come into many conversations between the bandit leader and his captains. A hero by the name of Sabre. He had destroyed Twinblade's camp, without reinforcements from the guild and had struck fear into the heart of anyone who called themself a bandit. There were talks of a plan to send the Angel of Death after him, knowing her skill would match any hero from the guild. But the plan was only in its birth stages and hadn't actually been formed yet.

The assassin stood at the window of a tower as she watched down on the grounds. She watched the horde move about and do its work, then smiled as she saw her little sister playing in the grounds with a wolf that she found as a puppy abandoned in the cold wasteland. She turned and sat down in her chair, thinking about the dreams she had been having recently.

She was always standing in a chamber of unknown origin. However, she knew deep in her heart that something about the chamber was familiar to her. There was a large blood red sword in the center of the chamber, sticking blade first into the stone. She approached the sword when she heard a dark voice inside her. _"The sword is the key. Free the sword, and your soul shall be freed." _it said to her. She couldn't make any sense out of the dream, and didn't bother mentioning it to others.

She laid back and sighed, not knowing the plan that formed in her little sisters mind. When night fell, the young girl travelled to the gate and grabbed the bow and arrow she had stolen from the arms room. Sneaking out the gate, she left in the middle of the night towards the coastal town a few miles away with the canine creature following behind her.

Angel lay in her room, a feeling of apprehensiveness taking over her. She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew that something wasn't right. So, instead of sleeping, she wandered the walls of the compound, looking out over the wasteland again. When she came across the gate, she looked down at the freshly fallen snow in front of it. There were fresh tracks, only a few hours old. She got down from the wall and investigated the tracks closer, seeing a small pair of boot prints as well as wolf tracks.

Suddenly, a sick feeling in her stomach overtook her. She immediately made her way inside the gate and began to search the fortress. A sense of panic set in when she couldn't find Aerika, or the pet wolf she had grown to love. She ran for the bandit kings private quarters on the third floor of the main building, knocking loudly on the door.

When he answered, she immediately began to question him. "Sire, have you seen Aerika anywhere?" she asked.

The man looked at her startled. "Aerika? No, I haven't seen her."

"She hasn't been sent on any new errands?" she asked desperately.

The man shook his maned head and scratched his beard. "Afraid not. Has she gone missing?" he asked curiously. Angel looked down at the ground, her fist clenched, when suddenly they were both alerted by screaming outside. As they ran to the window, they saw the chaos that befelled the bandit camp.

A man with white hair and gleaming armor shattered the burning front gate of the camp and began attacking the horde. Rojack watched in horror as the hero sliced his way like a cyclone of death through the bandit crowd. His blade was as swift and accurate as the assassins arrows, easily cutting down anyone in its path. The hero had been surrounded by the mass of bandits with their weapons drawn, when he let out a magical attack that cooked the circle of men around him.

He held out his palm and created a massive fireball, swinging it around in circles, injuring or killing those too close to him before hurling it deep into the crowd and causing an explosion that shook the ground. When he had a clear path, the man ran forward and jumped up on the dais that led to the battlements. Using force magic, he pushed everyone back onto their rear end.

The man began to speak to the crowd, and although she couldn't hear what was said, the woman stared at him oddly. Something about him was familiar, very familiar. But, like the chamber from her dreams, she couldn't place it. Rojack appeared next to her again, now wearing his armor with his broad axe across his back. He looked out the window with her, and they both saw the man jump from the dais into the center of the crowd.

Suddenly, they were both hurled backwards, striking the wall behind them painfully as the shockwave from a magic attack of outrageous force hit them. Angel rose, as did the bandit king and they both gasped in horror as they saw flames lashing out at everything in the camp. Anything and everything on the grounds was swallowed by the inferno, destroying it immediately. Both of them rushed down the stairs and stayed inside the protective walls of the building to keep from being immolated.

As quickly as the attack happened, it stopped. They were both unsure of whether it was safe to go outside, when a voice struck out at them directly. "Come out! I know you are in there!" shouted the warrior. The bandit king, and the assassin with her weapon drawn, both walked outside through a doorway that had been decimated by the previous attack.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, the hero looked up at them both. Angel felt her mind jerk as she saw him closer up. She knew him, from somewhere. "Tell me something warrior, why have you come to my camp and destroyed everything I have worked to build?" asked the enraged king.

Giving the bandit a death glare, the man crossed his arms. "I didn't come here to destroy anything. Your men had the chance to surrender, but they refused. It's their own fault they died." he said.

Growling furiously, the king glared at the hero. "Then why the hell did you come here!" he barked.

Looking at the assassin, the warrior spoke. "I came here for her." he said pointedly.

Rojack looked at the woman, then back at the warrior. "What business do you have with my assassin?" he asked.

Giving him another glare, the warrior pointed at him. "That is none of your concern. Now, I offer you the same chance I gave your men. Lay your weapon down, and you won't be harmed. If you choose to fight, you will die." he said with an air of seriousness that was chilling, even to the bandit king.

However, Rojack was confident in his assassins abilities. Laughing loudly, he smirked at the hero. "Kill him." he said to her.

She pulled the bowstring back and aimed straight at the warrior. But, try as she might, she couldn't let go of the string. She mearly stood there, aiming at him. The warrior moved forward, stopping at the bottom of the stairs as he looked up at her. She stared back at him, a rush of emotions going through her heart. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked.

She felt her body shake at the sound of his voice. She stared into his eyes as something pulled at her mind. Those eyes, those piercing blue eyes. "What are you waiting for? Kill him!" shouted the bandit king. But she continued to hold the string taut.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked, feeling her heart beat faster as her weapon began to lower with the string becoming slack again. He smiled softly and walked up the stairs. That smile, that warm, loving smile.

"You don't recognize me?" he asked her as he approached. He stopped right in front of her, staring deeply into her soft green eyes, now filling with tears of a lost memory she couldn't grasp. The man surprised her as he leaned forward, moving closer and closer until finally their lips made contact.

She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, like electricity had surged through her body, jarring her mind and bringing a flood of memories back to her. She went limp in his arms, tears pouring down her cheeks as her lost love kissed her deeply.

The king of bandits was as startled as she was. Taking his axe from his back, he waited until the two broke apart before raising the weapon and swinging it with incredible force towards the hero. However, something smashed into him and carried him ten feet across the charred stone stairs before leaving him gasping through blood. Looking up, he saw the woman holding her bow aimed at him with no arrow on the quivering string.

"B-But...why?" he choked out as his head fell back on the stone. The woman turned back to the hero and her fingers grew limp, causing her to drop the bow as her knees became weak.

"L-Lyle...?" she asked. He nodded to her. She put a foot forward and jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she began sobbing, letting her heart take control. The warrior wrapped his arms around her slender frame, never wanting to let go again.

"I finally kept my promise to you...Alex." he said, then he locked eyes with her and kissed her again passionately.

OoOoO

The woman found herself surrounded by darkness. She looked around at the nothingness, looking for someone, anyone. However, there was nobody. Lowering her head in grief, she spoke to herself. "I see, so this is where I belong." she mumbled. "The gods are cruel to send me to the darkness."

She stood up straight, startled by a presence that spoke behind her. _"So, you are the one." _said the voice. It was the voice of a young woman, younger than her. Spinning around, she saw a spirit form floating in front of her. Her eyes widened suddenly when she realized who it was.

"It...It's you!" said the hero startled. The spirit nodded to her with a smiled on her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

_"I'm here for you Alex." _said the spirit playfully.

The woman lowered her head. "You are here to take me to the afterlife?" she asked.

_"Sorry, but no. I'm here, because you are here." _said the young girl.

Looking up at her confused, the blonde hero spoke. "I don't understand..."

_"You believe you are here because you died?" _asked the girl. Alex nodded, and the girl shook her head. _"You are not dead. In fact, quite the opposite. You are completely unharmed." _said the spirit.

Alex had a startled look on her face as she digested the last thing the spirit said. "B-But how? I was destroyed by Jack's fire!" she said confused.

The girl smirked and drifted closer to the woman. _"Sorry to break it to you, but the fire didn't even touch you." _she commented. Alex looked at the ground, trying to pull the memory up, but failing. The last thing she remembered was the crushing pain of watching her hero look at her, knowing she was about to die. Then, she closed her eyes and everything faded out.

"How is it that I managed to escape?" she asked.

_"That you will find when you reawaken. But for now, just know that because of what you did, Lyle died inside. He is now a monster, stronger than anything this world has ever seen, or ever will see." _remarked the spirit. _"You, the one he loved even more than me, died by his worst enemies hand right in front of his eyes. You can imagine what happened, as you saw what he became when I died." _

Alex gasped as realization hit her. "How do we stop him? If he unleashes more power than he did before...he could destroy Albion!"

Nodding, the spirit drifted forward more until she was only inches from the womans face. _"You are the only one that can stop him Alex. You must stop him before he destroys everybody he loves and more."_

"How? I don't know how!" she said.

_"There is only one way to stop him, and you are the key. You must go to him." _said the young girl. Alex stared at her, then merely nodded. Leaning forward, the girl placed her forehead against Alex's. _"Now go hero, and love him like I never could." _she said. Suddenly, a bright light encased them both as Talon cupped the womans cheek in her palm. _"Goodbye hero."_


	26. The Beast Within

OoO( 26 )OoO

There was the wind again. She had felt it before the dreams, now she felt it once more. Slowly, her eyes began to open, letting in light and sound that emenated around her. She blinked a few more times before her vision cleared. She noticed that the scenery around her was blurring as she flew by at high speed.

Noticing a pair of arms holding her up, she looked up to see a man in black with a mask rushing towards the distance. Suddenly, realization gripped her. "Y-You saved me..." she said.

The man looked down at the woman, his mouth covered by a cloth mask. His black hair was long, shoulder length and flew behind him like a battle cloak. "I see you are awake." he said. "Sorry about knocking you out, but it makes things easier when you don't have to argue with the one you intend to save." he said.

She looked around and noticed several other people running with him, wearing the same black garb he did. "Who are you?" she asked.

"No time for that now miss. We've got other problems." he said.

She was about to question him, but felt the ground rumble beneath her and knew what he meant. "What is that?"

"Not sure, but whatever it is is behind us. And I plan to keep it that way." he said.

Suddenly, her dream came back to her. _"Because of what you did, Lyle died inside. He is now a monster, stronger than anything this world has ever seen, or ever will see." _Her eyes widened in horror as the sentence ran through her mind over and over. Immediately, she jumped out of the mans arms and fell to the ground.

He stopped and walked over to her, ready to grab her again. "What do you think you are doing? If we don't get out of here, we'll all be killed!" he said.

She pushed him away and looked back towards the battle field where the quake had come from. "Lyle...I'll be there soon!" she said over the wind as she began to run towards the massive column of light now shooting from the ground in the distance.

The man watched her start running and sighed. One of his companions, a female wearing the same black mask he did walked up and questioned him. "What do we do now master?" she asked.

"We were charged with protecting them, which means all of them. We have no choice but to go after her." he said irritatedly.

"And if she refuses to be saved?" she asked.

"Then we will be there with her when she dies." he said. The woman nodded, not a single lingering thought of doubt in her mind. Together, they ran, flashing like shadows across the land as they followed the hero back to the scene of the battle.

OoOoO

Ark covered his eyes as high speed winds smashed into him, nearly knocking him off his feet. He watched as Lyle, the warrior he had come to look to as a brother unleashed hell upon the earth itself.

The white haired warrior now stood hovering in the air, his eyes pure white as glowing runes etched themselves all over his body, covering him head to toe in shining glyphs. Energy lashed out from his body as his arms were spread open, accepting this new truth. The energy whipped out at buildings, destroying them immediately and sending debris and rubble scattering across the island.

"This is insane!" shouted the dark warrior as he dodged a whipping tendril of energy that left a rift in the ground next to him.

The dragon stared at the warrior incredulously. He took a step back as the cloud of energy began to expand, eating the buildings away like a salt cube in a lake. "H-How is this possible?" he asked himself, backing up further as the energy continuously expanded. Jumping backwards, the dragon took flight to escape the increasing radius of the magic. "What madness is this!" he shouted before attacking.

Flying closer, the dragon shot a blast of fire at the center, aiming directly for the hero. But the fire immediately discentigrated as it entered the energy sphere, leaving the hero in the middle compeletely unharmed.

Ark watched as the dragons attacks proved useless. He turned and began to run, knowing he stood no chance against the massive wave that was heading towards him. Suddenly, he stopped when he saw a woman approaching. He stared at her, dumbfounded. "You?"

She saw him and stopped. "What is it?" she asked.

"But...weren't you..." he said pointing to where Lyle was floating off the ground.

"No time to explain!" she shouted, and began running towards the hero.

"Wait! You can't go in there! You'll be killed!" he shouted. But she ignored him and continued running. "Dammit! Why me!" he shouted, then ran after her. Holding his arms in front of him, he shaped them like he was holding an orb of some kind.

Alex noticed as a shining spherical wall surrounded her. She smiled as she continued running. "Thanks for the help..." she said quietly as both her and the barrier around her smashed through the wall of magic energy.

Ark fell to his knees when she entered the wave of magic. The attack was crushing his shield at an incredible pace and wearing on him. "I don't...know how long...I can hold this for..." he said as he squinted against the brightness. "Please...hurry...!" he said, using every ounce of energy to keep the woman from getting swallowed by the magic.

OoOoO

Both armies had stopped in their tracks when the ground shook. Now, they both stared in horror as a pillar of light shot from the ground into the dark skies, parting the storm clouds and causing the wind to shift, making said clouds spiral darkly around the magic.

Scarlett and Theresa stared in amazement at the sight, knowing what the cause was. Van and the other heroes couldn't believe their eyes. "What is that?" asked Thunder, his voice shaking.

"Lyle, his last thread has been broken." said Theresa as the energy made her body tremble.

"What!" asked Thunder.

"If somebody does not stop him soon, we will all be consumed by the force. And soon after, the entire world may be in danger of it." said the specter like form of Scythe. Everyone looked at him.

"How do we stop something like that?" asked Van.

The old mage lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I...don't know." he said. Everyone immediately felt their stomachs sink.

"If you don't know...then nobody does..." said the hero.

Toran stumbled up to them, using his greatsword as a walking stick with blood dripping down his forehead. "Then what does that mean for us?" he asked.

"It means that this may be the end for all of us. And that my prophecy might not have been talking about Jack at all." said Theresa. She suddenly reacted as the opposing army began to run full speed towards the scene. "What are they doing?" she asked.

"Jack is calling them to try and stop Lyle." said Scythe grimly.

Turning to the older man, Van questioned him. "Shouldn't we try to stop them?" he asked.

But the mage shook his head. "I'm afraid that the battle has turned. We must stay and hope that they manage to stop his attack. For if they fail, then everyone everywhere will die." he said.

OoOoO

The dragon flapped its wings rapidly, keeping it in the air as its dark army raced headlong into the massive energy attack. However, he began to growl as the bodies of his minions were dissolved to nothing before they even reached the center.

Diving from his position, he roared loudly. "Damn you!" he shouted. He suddenly felt unnerved as the hero in the center glared directly at him. Suddenly, one of the vine like waves lashed out just as he attacked, smashing into him and sending him bowling through three buildings, electricity flowing through his scaled hide. He yelled loudly as the paralysis wore off, getting to his feet and looking through his good eye at the shining warrior in the center.

It was then that he spotted the figure racing through the warzone unharmed. Alex ran for everything she was worth, dodging the waves that crashed into the ground around her, tearing into the earth like the fangs of a wolf. She could finally see his sillhouette in the middle of the ocean of magic. She had also felt the shield around her weakening considerably. She pushed herself as hard as she could and when she was only a few feet away, she jumped.

Ark fell to his knees, gasping for air as his consciousness faded. The shadows from before had gathered around the warrior, helping him to his feet as they watched the edge of the magic force move closer and closer. "I...hope you...made it." said Ark as he gasped in air. One of the women dressed in black walked up to him and began to heal the dark warrior as they all watched.

Alex saw the home stretch and hurled herself into the air just as she felt the shield around her collapse. Time seemed to slow down as she reached out in front of her, the hero moving closer and closer with each second as the magic ate away at her clothing as well as beginning to burn her flesh.

Finally, she wrapped her arms around his neck and did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him, deeply and passionately. The effect was immediate, the hero dropping flat to the ground on his feet, the magic all shooting straight up into the air and dissipating. The ground stopped shaking, buildings stopped collapsing, and the clouds stopped where they were, leaving what seemed to be a rift in the sky where the attack split the clouds.

Slowly, his arms wrapped around her, the glowing runes all over his body vanishing and his closed eyes fading back to normal. He held her close to him, their kiss seemingly never ending as the rage he felt inside quelled. Finally, she pulled away and looked at him. His face was soaked as tears continuously poured from his eyes, which now looked at her.

"A-Alex..." he said, his voice wavering. "I...I thought..."

"I'm alive and well Lyle." she said and kissed him again. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Thinking about it, the hero smirked. "Kinda...tired." he said, then fell backwards, landing on his rear. She giggled as Ark and the others dressed in black approached.

"Welcome back." said Ark, mimicking Lyle's smirk almost perfectly. "Had a little nap did you?" he asked.

"Something like that..." said the warrior as he stood. The magic user in black again began to heal the fallen hero. "Who are..." said Lyle as he looked at the leader in black. Suddenly, a wall of recognition hit him as he looked them all up and down.

"My name is Raven." he said holding out his hand.

Lyle shook it, staring deeply into the mans eyes. "Maria's clan..." said the warrior.

The man nodded. "We've had someone following with you. I made a promise to her that we would help you at all costs should anything happen to her." he said.

"But...who are you?" asked Ark.

Looking at the dark hero, he looked at the ground. "I...was to be her husband." he said, causing shock to mask Lyle's face.

"I'm sorry..." said the warrior.

"Uh...guys! We've got bigger problems!" shouted Ark as he pointed into the distance. Glaring through its one amber eye, the scaled creature flew at them at high speed. Immediately, the hero turned to Ark and nodded.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Ark nodded. "You, take her and leave." he said to the clan. The leader nodded, then grabbed Alex and vanished like smoke into the shadows. She no longer put up a fight as she watched her hero turn and face the demon. Lyle glared at the incoming beast, clenching the handle in his hand.

"Uhhh...Lyle...?" said Ark as he stared at the oddity. The warrior looked at his partner, then noticed light shining out of the corner of his eye. Looking down at his hand, he watched in awe as the handle formed into the hilt of a large sword, a blade growing out of the light. After a few seconds, the rusted old weapon handle formed into a long shining sword with runes and lightning bolts etched into the blade. The cross hilt was large, but the weapon was as light as air.

"What is that!" yelled the beast as it stopped, not wanting to charge head first into anymore unknown magic attacks.

Looking at the demon, both warriors smiled as they aimed their blades at him. "It's your downfall, Jack of Blades." said Lyle. Almost instantly, both heroes charged at the scaled beast...


	27. The Heroes Final Battle

OoO( 27 )OoO

The battle raged again as the two heroes stood defiantly against the dark dragon. It's leathery wings flapped rapidly as it continuously fired its magic attacks at the two, however they weren't going to let him have another shot.

Lyle turned to his partner with a serious look on his face. "Run." he said. Ark looked at him oddly, then noticed the hero smirking. Knowing what he had planned, the dark warrior ran for the nearest cover and began maneuvering alongside buildings to get to higher ground. Jack fired a large ball of flame at the white haired warrior, not leaving the safety of the air.

Lyle looked up at the flame and closed his eyes, concentrating his will as he had been trained years before. Suddenly, his form vanished as if it were an illusion. Jack's eye went wide when he saw the man disappear. He growled to himself furiously. "This again..." he said, remembering their previous battle where Lyle had shown exceptional speed. Looking around, he spotted him further down the street, smiling up at him with the same arrogant smile. "Damn you!" shouted the dragon as it swooped down and fired another attack.

The hero vanished again, letting the magic destroy what was left of a nearby building. "Ark! Now!" shouted the warrior, getting the dragons attention immediately. The dark warrior jumped out of cover on top of a building and Lyle used force magic to launch himself up to the roof. Ark held both hands aimed at the warrior, using his own force magic as Lyle descended. Lyle also used his, and the two countered each other, launching the hero into the air like a canonball.

Jack flew back horrified as the smiling hero flew towards him with incredible speed. Again, the hero vanished, then appeared on the other side of the demon. The beast roared loudly as it felt pain shoot like lightning down his spine. Suddenly, he started to descend to the earth at a rapid pace.

Lyle landed on a nearby building with his shining silver sword slung over his shoulder. The runes and lightning marks across the blade now glowed brightly in the darkness of the landscape. The dragon fell, as its severed wing flew off with the night wind. As it approached the ground, he saw the hero in black move swiftly and dive off the tower towards him.

Ark, though powerful wasn't nearly as fast as Lyle. Jack reached out with his teeth and attempted to snap at the hero as he fell. However, the dark warrior seemed to predict this and flipped off the demons own body, launching himself behind it and giving him an opening. With a massive swing of his large glave, the other wing detached itself from the monsters body and fell to the ground with him.

Jack of Blades rose to his clawed feet and roared loudly in rage. He shot an enormous cone of fire that swallowed the nearby landscape Ark shielded himself barely and Lyle managed to dodge by diving off the building he was on. The serpent was quick, lashing out with his tail and getting both of the heroes in one swing.

The attack plowed the two through a building, causing it to collapse. However, almost immediately the two rose and flew in seperate directions. Getting frustrated, Jack fired a shot at Ark, missing him entirely as the hero vanished behind one of the other buildings in the area. Lyle held his hand up and lightning shot forward and smashed into the dragons face, causing him the lash out with his spiked head.

Lyle took the full force of the attack and flew off the building, landing on the road nearby. As he was about to strike the finishing blow, Ark swung out of cover and shot lightning at the sword still jutting out of the dragons breast. Being almost completely metal, the blade immediately sent the electrical surge throughout the dragons massive body, stunning him.

Jack immediately threw himself away from the attack into an ally barely big enough to hold him. Getting to his clawed feet, he rushed out the other side before turning and firing a large blast of fire at the building. The magic tore the building apart and sent large chunks of stone towards the two on the other side. Ark and Lyle dashed in opposite directions, catching only the smallest of the debris from the demons surprise attack.

"Sneaky bastard..." shouted Ark as he ran up a pile of rubble and launched himself at the beast again. Jack looked up at him and prepared to torch him with his fire attack, when suddenly lightning contacted the blade buried in him again. With the demon temporarily stunned, Ark had no trouble thrusting his sword forward and scoring, as the blade sank deep into the dragons throat.

Jack was startled and tried to roar, however the blade kept him from doing so. Lyle and Ark stood in front of him, both with smug grins on their faces. He summoned his fire attack again, but once more the blade caused only fumes to come out. It was at that moment that Jack realized he was finished. He could no longer fly, he could no longer breath fire, he couldn't do anything. And without enough energy to summon his army again, he was doomed.

Enraged at finding himself cornered, he lashed out with his teeth. However, he immediately regretted it as both heroes dodged, and Lyle jumped up and slammed the blade of his sword through the top of the dragons mouth and out the bottom of his chin.

Ark raised his hands and fired another bolt of magic through the magical blade, causing the dragon to fall to the ground limp. Jack's vision was hazy as he watched the approaching warriors with magic surging through to their palms. Suddenly, something through his blurred vision caught the dragons attention. There weren't just two of them. There were others around.

He tried to crawl backwards as he saw the transparent form of a warrior walking next to Lyle with a long spear, her hair short and her skin dark. Looking next to Ark, he saw the mage who used to be his ally, holding his hands out next to him as they surged with magic. Behind the two was the man from the village he burned to the ground, Scarlett's husband wielding an axe. Then the rose woman he used to get the mask. Finally, in front of the others was a younger girl with dark hair and dark clothes, holding twin swords in front of her.

They all walked, surrounding the two heroes, with a death glare locked on the demon. "You don't look so good Jack. Maybe you should take a sick day." said Lyle as he walked with Ark, unaware of the spirits surrounding them both.

"What is this madness!" shouted Jack as he rose to his feet, then backed off faster. "I killed you! You all are dead!" he ranted as his gaze shifted from Whisper to Brom, then back to Maze.

Lyle and Ark looked at one another confused, but shrugged. They both switched positions and charged forward, their magic lighting up the moonlit night as the heroes attacked. Jack watched as the spirits charged with them, weapons held in attack positions. He turned to dodge, but they were too fast. He roared loudly in pain as they all hit him at once. Ark grabbed the weapon buried in the dragons chest, sending electricity through its body before ripping the blade free. Lyle took Jack's last chance by grabbing the blade in his throat and slashing across the demons eye.

The demon was swallowed by darkness and pain as it fell sideways to the ground. It raised its head and growled pitifully at the heroes it could no longer see. "Damn you...all..." he said.

"It's over Jack." said Ark as the hero army began to gather around the fallen beast. Scarlett, Theresa, Toran, Thunder, Raven, Van, Alex, Cara, Scythe, and everyone else helping to fight the battle gathered in a circle around the demon.

"Your time in this world has ended." said Lyle as the sword in his hand shined brighter with magical energy.

"Go to hell!" shouted the beast as it struggled to stand.

"You first." said the hero as his hands began to flourish with lightning again. He dropped the weapon and shot the bolt of magic, nailing the sword still buried in Jack's head. Immediately, the attack could be seen throughout the beasts body. Jack roared in pain as the magic began to slowly burn him. He prepared to move away from the attack, when he was astounded by the strength of the attack multipying massively.

The heroes all around the demon raised their arms in a similar fashion to Lyle, then fired the magic forward, adding to the power. The sword suddenly erupted into light as it feed off the energy and forced it into the blade, and straight to the demons insides. The beast clawed at the ground, trying to get away as fast as it could, roaring out its pain and panic. But no matter where it went, there were more heroes, adding to the attack with their own. The light swallowed him and tore his scales from his tattered and scarred body. Finally, it was too much. He fell over and the lightning engulfed him completely, ravaging his body until nothing remained but ash.

The hero lowered his arms, causing the attack to dissipate as others followed his example. All was silent for a few moments before the sound of chearing came from the heroes. Lyle smiled and fell to his knees, exhausted as the others began to celebrate.

Then, everything went silent again as a scream was heard. The hero got to his feet and ran forward, seeing a girl he knew very well fall to her knees, holding her head. "Alex!" he shouted and ran to her. But he was shoved back by a lightning bolt shot from her hand.

Ark moved forward as the woman stood. "What's the matter!" he shouted. The girl looked at him and he immediately took a step back.

"This battle ends when I say it ends!" she shouted.

Scarlett growled, her axe ready to strike. "Damn you Jack!" the woman shouted.

Lyle stepped forward again, looking at her indifferently. "So, that's your backup plan?" he asked, getting a glare from the young woman. "You thought you were going to possess the body of the woman I love so that I wouldn't attack you?" he asked.

Alex walked forward, the smile on her face fading at the sight of Lyle's smirk. "I know your weakness hero. You can't kill the one you love!" she shouted.

Lyle laughed, then rubbed his forehead. "And I know your weakness." he said digging at his side. Suddenly, he pulled out something that made Alex take a step back. "You told us everything back in the cavern, about how this thing absorbs souls of the dead and feeds them to the wearer." he said with a smirk on his face.

Alex took a step back, fear now etched into her face. But, as she stepped back again, she bumped into Thunder, who wrapped his arms around the woman and held her in place. Lyle ran forward and powered the magical item with will energy. Placing his hand on the womans shoulder, he held the mask in front of her face. She screamed loudly as black energy was pulled from her form and into the mask.

The dark knight held onto her so she didn't hit the ground as Lyle held the mask up. Tossing it into the pile of ashes, the hero raised his fist and slammed into directly onto the mask, making fire erupt around him. Slowly, the mask began to discentigrate.

_"This...can't be...happening..." _said the demon. _"I am...invincible..."_

The fire tore at the mask, the energy eating away at it until nothing remained of the wicked object. The hero stood again and grabbed the magic sword that was sticking out of the ground. When he was signaled by Thunder that Alex was okay, he turned to Ark. The two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled at each other and grasped hands.

The entire army began to cheer loudly, for the day had been won.


	28. A Heroes Goodbye

OoO( 28 )OoO

_5 years later..._

The dark haired woman stood staring at the monster in front of her. He was huge, his body muscular with his facial features hidden, and a pointed sword in his hand. He walked foward as she stood, her eyes wide as he approached with his weapon pointed at her. "It's time." he said smiling from behind the wolf hood he had on.

She put her hands on her hips and glared. "Then do it." she said.

He tilted his head. "You...what?" he asked.

Crossing her arms she walked closer to him. "Anything is better than having to stay in this stupid cave with you." she growled.

He looked around at his surroundings. "You don't like the cave?" he asked.

"It's hideous! What kind of evil lair is this supposed to be? And it's hot! I'm sweating like mad in this place! And you have nothing to eat! What kind of kidnapper are you? Bringing me here with nothing but scraps..." she asked accusingly.

He backed up defensively. "You're hungry?"

"And look at this floor! What kind of animal makes a lady sleep on a bed of straw?" she asked outraged as she took another step towards him, making him back up more. "And, I haven't had a bath in a week! And you call yourself a man..." she remarked, snorting in her frustration.

He scratched his head and looked at the ground. "Uh...sorry." he said.

"Sorry? SORRY! Is sorry going to make up for the money you've cost my shop by kidnapping me?" she shouted. "I've probably lost thousands of gold in trade because my shop isn't running without me there! And you're sorry?" she asked as she backed him against the wall.

"I...I don't..." he said nervously as he crouched down, trying to put as much distance between her and him as possible.

"You don't what!" she shouted. "Let me guess, you didn't think about that did you? Of course not. I'm just going to go off into a town and kidnap a shopkeeper with no family to hold them for ransom! Who cares if I'm a bumbling idiot who didn't think about the consequences of doing that? I sure don't, because I live in a cave sleeping on a bed for animals!" she shouted directly into his cowering hidden face.

"Alright!" he shouted throwing the sword on the ground and covering his head. "Alright! I'm sorry! Please just stop! Take the sword, take my clothes, take my damn horse, just please leave me alone!" he shouted curling up in the corner.

The woman picked up the sword and pointed it at the man with a smile. "Just joking." she said.

The audience burst into laughter as they watched the play. The dark haired woman and the man stood and bowed to the onlookers. The man took his mask off, revealing his long white hair and the three claw marks across his left cheek. The rest of the troupe came in and moved the props off stage, then took a bow themselves.

The blonde hero smiled from the audience at the man. She clapped loudly, as well as the two white haired girls next to her, nearly identicle to each other. "Yay! Get him Kiko!" shouted one of the girls.

Lyle jumped out of the theater area and grabbed the girl, lifting her off the ground and looking at her with a stern expression. "Hey now, who's side are you on?" he asked.

She hugged his face, blinding him as she giggled. "Just joking daddy!" she said, knowing what was coming next. She began to shriek with laughter as her father began tickling her mercilessly.

"Well, now we know the mighty heroes weakness." said the dark haired mage as he walked up to the warrior.

Lyle smirked and set his daughter down as Van chuckled. "Luckily for me, you don't have a womans power." he said as he slugged the mage in his arm. The dark haired woman walked over, her almond shaped eyes lit up as she looked at the girls.

"Hello there you two." she said as the twin girls ran to her.

"Kiko!" shouted one of them as they dove into her arms. "You were great!"

"Why thank you Rheleena." said the woman as she hugged the girls.

Van elbowed Lyle. "So, how's the peaceful life suiting you?" he asked with a smile.

The warrior smiled at his two girls and his wife. "I couldn't be happier." he said, then was suddenly tackled by one of his daughters. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and squeezed.

"Got ya now!" she shouted triumphantly as she put him in a headlock.

He flailed around yelling, "Help! I've got a monster on my back!" as he ran through the crowd, getting more laughter.

Van chuckled again as he watched the scene. "Alma is growing up to be just like him." Kiko said to the two, making Alex giggle and Van cringe.

"May Avo help Albion if she does." he said sarcastically.

OoOoO

Back in the guild, Lyle sat with Scarlett, Van and Theresa in their quarters. "So, you're leaving then?" asked Scarlett, her grey hair pinned up in a bun as she lounged in a cushy chair next to the fire.

Lyle nodded at her. "Yes."

"Why?" asked Van curiously.

"Remember when we were children, Alex would always be followed around by a tall blonde man?" asked the warrior, making Van nod. "Well, she recently explained to me that it was her brother. He was here, helping to tutor her."

"She needed tutoring?" asked Van oddly. "She seemed to learn pretty fast to me..." he said.

"Not that kind of tutor. He was here teaching her to be a ruler. Her parents sent her here to train as a hero, so that some day she could return to her kingdom as a powerful ruler."

"So, Alex is royalty then?" asked his mother, and Lyle nodded. Smiling, Scarlett sat back. "Always knew you had a good eye for girls." she said.

Lyle chuckled as Van scratched his chin. "So, by marriage, that would make you royalty as well?" he mused.

The warrior nodded as he scratched his head. "Actually yes. They don't really have a marriage class system in Ambervale, so whoever the current leader decides to marry makes them royalty as well."

Van smiled sincerely and slapped a hand on his friends shoulder. "Congratulations Lyle. I'm sure you'll make a lovely queen." he said, then ducked as the warrior took a swing at him.

Lyle smirked at Van, noting in his mind to make him pay for that one. "Anyway, the Hook Coast incident kind of shook the kingdom. Aside from her and her brother, they never had any other children, so after her rumored death at Hook Coast, and her brothers body too weak and sick to rule, they were left with no heir."

Theresa nodded knowingly. "They still believe she is dead then?" she asked.

Lyle nodded. "She really hasn't had a chance to go back with everything that has happened."

"How long are you going to be there?" asked Scarlett.

He scratched his head. "I don't know. I really don't understand how things work there yet, or whether her parents are even still alive. If not, then she may have to stay..."

"And you plan to stay with her." said the mage. Lyle looked at him, and he leaned back in his chair. "It would be the right thing to do. After all, what kind of husband would let his wife go off on her own with such responsibility?" he asked rhetorically.

"Not to mention the two girls. The seperation would tear them apart." said the seer.

Lyle nodded as his mother stared at him. Standing up, she hugged him tightly. "You know that no matter what happens, you will always be my son. And if you decide to stay there, then know that you will always have friends, family, and a home here in Albion if you ever need it." she said trying to hide her tears.

The hero hugged her back tightly, sighing as he heard her choked promise. "The same goes for you all. If you ever decide to come over there, you know you will be taken care of." he said as he let her go and sat back down.

"So, when are you leaving?" asked Van.

"In about a week. We still need to find a ship and supplies to get us that far." said Lyle.

Van smirked. "I think I might know a captain and crew who could help you."

OoOoO

Ark walked through the guild grounds breathing the rain cleansed air into his lungs. After the battle on Snowspire Isle, he had moved here to be with Cara, and never regretted the decisions since. He walked towards the melee circle of the guild, seeing the warrior in the middle of it. Walking up to the wooden fence surrounding it, he also noticed Thunder inside the ring with him, lacking his usual silver colored armor and weapons.

The giant dark man held his arms up in a defensive position as Lyle circled him, his own hands up ready to strike. Lyle sprung forward and took a swing at the knight, but was surprised at the mans quickness. Thunder leaned his head to the side and grabbed the warriors arm, wrenching it behind his head and using the momentum to slam him to the ground.

Ark flinched at the thud of the hero hitting the soil. "Ouch...you alright there?" he asked, getting the pairs attention.

Lyle stood up and rubbed his arm sorely. "Just fine. Just getting my limbs ripped off by this maniac." he said, getting a laugh from Thunder.

"You may have bested me in will power farmboy, but I taught Whisper everything she knew about hand to hand combat. You've still got a ways to go before you can take me on." said the dark knight.

Lyle smirked, then attacked again. This time he threw a punch, which was easily avoided by the larger man. But he shifted his weight into the swinging foot aimed for Thunders head. The large man barely ducked under the attack before it struck. "Oh yeah?" asked Lyle challengingly as he stood straight again. He kicked high again, getting blocked by Thunder, then swung around and jumped, spinning in the air and kicking the man three times in the chest before landing.

Thunder stumbled back from the attack, but still stood. He smiled, his white teeth accenting his dark skin. "Yeah." he said as he rushed forward. Lyle swung another kick, but this time Thunder caught it. Pulling the warrior forward, he grabbed the hero by the neck and lifted him onto his shoulders, before spinning once and slamming him onto his back with breathtaking force.

Ark laughed loudly as the warrior rolled on the ground, groaning in pain and gasping for air. The warrior glared up at him from the ground. "Did you want something? Or did you just come here to watch me get broken in half?" he asked.

Ark chuckled again. "As appealing as that would be, I came to let you know that we found a ship for you. And a crew." he said smiling at the bruised hero.

Lyle stood again, this time smiling. "That's good news. How'd you find them?" he asked.

"You'll see. I've come to introduce you to them." he said as he opened the training ring, allowing both men to exit. "So, what will Albion do without its greatest hero?" he asked jokingly.

Lyle shoved Ark as they walked towards the guild. "We both know that I'm not its greatest hero. I could never have done what I did without all of you there." he said.

"Oh come on. You and I both know that you would have messed it up somehow without me there. I've gotta stick around to make you look good." he said, getting a laugh from both Thunder and Lyle.

They travelled through the guild building and into the picnic area to the north, where a large group of people were gathered. As the warrior walked into the area, he was greeted by a man he instantly recognized.

"Well well well, if it isn't Lyle the Saber...good lord boy. You look like you got trampled by a pack of balverines! What happened?" asked the man, his mane like beard and hair making him look like I lion.

Lyle glared at Thunder, getting a knowing smile in return, then turned back to the captain. "Good to see you again Captain Nemo. I'm guessing you will be piloting the ship?" he asked.

Captain Nemo pounded his chest proudly. "You couldn't find a better'n than me." he said gruffly.

Lyle smiled. "I agree. Now, who's the crew?" he asked curiously, looking at the others.

The captain turned and waved his arm at the others. They walked forward with a smile and greeted the hero. "A few of the folks here wanted to meet you. Said you might know them from somewhere."

The hero looked at the faces. None of them looked particularly familiar. Then one man with dark hair stepped forward with a smirk. "Forgotten me already Lyle? I must be doing something right." he said as Lyle stared at his face.

Suddenly, it hit him. "Raven?" he asked, astonished to see the man out of his regular black attire.

"The one and only." he said. "And these here are my family and clan." he said, stepping aside and allowing Lyle to see the others. "In fact there are two here that would very much like to meet you." he said as two of them stepped forward. One was a shorter man with a grey mustache and short grey hair. His eyes were dark and fierce. The other was a tall woman with long black hair, whos equally dark eyes scanned him.

"Uhhh...it's good to meet you." said the warrior.

"You too." said the man in a dangerous tone as he held his hand out for the hero to shake. Lyle sensed the poison in his voice, and grabbed his hand to shake it. Immediately he felt the mans will energy shift, similar to his during his fight with Jack in the guild. He reached up and grabbed the mans hand as it thrust for his throat, a blade now protruding from a slot on his wristband. The tip of the weapon was a hairs breadth away from his throat.

Lyle glared at the man, as he glared back. The silence was deafening as the two stared each other down. Finally, the tension was broken as the older man dropped his weapon hand and smiled. "I see she taught you well." he said, his tone changing instantly.

Lyle stared at him for a moment, when finally the pairs features became recognizable. The dark, slanted eyes, the womans flowing dark hair, even the bird emblems on their shoulders seemed to slap him in the face. "You're..." he said, but couldn't finish.

"Yes, we are Talon's parents." said the woman, who was also smiling. "And you are Lyle, the hero she spoke so much about before she left us again."

The warrior looked at the ground. "She...saved my life. If it wasn't for her, Albion, and probably the world would be nothing but ashes now." he said closing his eyes tightly.

"We know." said the mother as she walked forward and placed her hand on the warriors shoulder. "And we know that you still feel some guilt for her death." she said, making him look up at her. "She visited me in a dream when she passed and told me everything. She loved you Lyle, and I want you to know that we don't blame you for her death, and neither does she. She knew what she was doing when she attacked the demon, and she did it anyway. I can't think of a better reason to die than to save the one you love." she said, her voice soft and caring.

Lyle nodded and smiled at them. "Thank you." he said.

"She chose a good man when she chose you Lyle." said the father with a proud smile. "And I'm proud to serve the man that she chose til the end of my days."

Lyle looked at him oddly. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Raven walked forward again. "It's the history of our people. We were originally formed in order to serve Archon, the ruler of the Old Kingdom. We left and followed our own path when he found the sword of destruction. But we believe in fate, and believe that Maria running into you was no accident. You are the descendent of the Great King Archon, and you are a true hero. So we think it's time we moved from our village and fulfilled our true purpose." he said with a smile.

Lyle smiled and bowed his head to the group of people. "It's an honor to have you at my side." he said. Ark smiled at the scene.

After a few moments, the dark hero stepped forward. "Alright! It's time we started getting the ship prepared!" he shouted as the group cheered. "We have five days to get her sea worthy!"

OoOoO

The sun slowly began to rise over the horizon on Barrow Fields, sending the darkness retreating as the warm glow of dawn spread. Alex sat on a hill, her head laying on the warriors shoulder as she watched the sunrise. Lyle had his arm around her, his own head leaning on hers. "Tomorrow is the day..." she said.

"Yeah." he said holding her close.

She sighed sadly and looked at the ground. "I know you are giving up a lot to come with me Lyle. Thank you."

He smiled and kissed her head gently. "I'm not the only one. You have friends and family here too." he said. She looked up at him curiously. "The entire guild is our family." he said, remembering the Guildmaster, now known as Marcus since his retirement. "All of them are our brothers and sisters, there to help us and look out for us." he said, remembering everything that happened since he came to the guild. Them meeting as new guild acolytes. Van's tormenting, and eventual friendship. Elizabeths tutoring, and teaching. Whispers encouragement, Williams helpfulness, and Cara's kindness. "I can truly say that I am the luckiest man in the world to have met the people I have."

Alex smiled. "Me too." she said as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder again.

OoOoO

The days had flown like the wind, passing quickly by the citizens of Albion until finally, the day of the voyage came. Van had supplied the ship, giving up his previous investment from the corrupt politician in order for Alex and Lyle to make their journey. The supplies were given by the people of Albion. Shopkeepers and farmers from all over gave up their own food and equipment so that the heroes might survive the ship, all of them greatful for the deeds of the two.

The sun rose in the early morning as the port of Oakvale flooded with people from the town, the guild, the arena, and everywhere else one could think of. They were all gathered on the beach, some in tears, some with bright smiles on their faces as they watched the heroes approaching from Oakvale.

Lyle and Alex walked down the road to the beach, Lyle with Alma's hand and Alex with Rheleena's. They looked up and saw everyone standing on the beach waiting for them. The twin girls waved at everyone and the two heroes smiled.

"Quite the send off huh?" asked Van, the new Guildmaster of the Heroes Guild. He stood at the head of the crowd, his dark hair russling in the wind.

Lyle smirked and looked at all the faces in the crowd as he walked down the center, them parting for his passage. They all had different looks on their faces, some smiled happily, some were in tears, some nodded in recognition. Despite the different expressions, he felt only one thing from them all. Love.

Alex and Lyle walked past them and helped their daughters onto the ship before turning to the group behind them.

"I know why you are all here..." said Lyle as he looked over them all. "And I have one thing to say. You shouldn't be." he said smiling. The crowd looked at him oddly. "All I am is some farmboy from a small town. All I did was do what any one of you would do if you were in the same situation. I'm not important enough for all this." he said.

A man from the village stepped forward with a very proud demeanor. His hair and mustache were both grey, and his swollen stomach filled his clothes entirely. But nonetheless he strode forward and jabbed Lyle in the chest with his finger. "You probably don't remember who I am do you?" he asked. Lyle stared at him dumbly. "Years ago when I was a younger man, you took me by the throat and told me that a mans accomplishments wasn't a pardon for his sins. You told me right over there." he said pointing to the statue on the cliff that overhung the sea.

"Oh...sorry." said Lyle sheepishly.

"There'll be none of that." he said cutting the hero off. "You taught me a valuable lesson that day. Now I'm hear to teach you one. Ones duty doesn't come before honor. All those things you did, all the evil you've killed, all the good you've brought us, maybe it doesn't erase the bad stuff you've done. But you didn't have to do those things, and it's your choice to do those things that people like me and my wife, like the villagers and farmers, like masons and woodworkers, like the citizens of Albion that makes you important to us." he said, stunning Lyle into silence. "Despite knowing it was near impossible, that you were probably going to die, you chose to do them anyway, for us. So the people who couldn't do it can live happily. That is why you are important enough for this." he shouted proudly.

The crowd began clapping loudly at the speech. Lyle and Alex smiled and looked at them all. "Thank you all. I love all of you, and want to thank you for everything you've done for us." said Alex.

The mayor of Knothole walked forward with both his sons at his side. Michael stood tall and muscular, his voice now deeper than even Lyle's. He now looked like a true hero, his armor silver with a large spear across his back. He now had a scar under his eye from a close run in with a balverine. Lucas stood on the other side of their father, his short brown hair ruffled from the constant wind on the coast and a look like he had better things to do.

Michael walked forward and took the heroes hand, clasping it with his own. "You were my mentor, my teacher, and my inspiration. I'll never forget you Lyle." said the dark skinned man. Lyle smiled and pulled the new hero into a hug.

"Better not forget what I've taught you either. Could cost you your head someday." he said with a smile as they pulled apart. Michael chuckled at his teacher.

"Don't have to worry about that." he said. Next to step up was Ark and Cara. Cara immediately hugged Alex, then hugged Lyle.

"You two be careful and promise to come back and see us sometime." she said, her eyes betraying hidden tears.

Alex smiled. "Don't worry. I would never leave here and think about staying away. I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you all again." she said brightly.

Ark stepped forward and shook Lyle's hand. "You come back in one piece. We still haven't settled our duel on the beach that day." he said smugly.

Lyle chuckled. "Good thing too. We all know I'd have destroyed you if it weren't for Scythe stepping in."

Van and Elizabeth came forward, Van still wearing a smirk on his face. "Be sure when I come to visit that you have girls throwing rose petals on the ground in front of me." he said as he shook Lyle's hand. Lyle glared at him, but still smiled.

"Whatever you say your highness." said the warrior sarcastically as he sent a jolt through Van's arm, making him cringe. The mage laughed and shook the pain from his arm.

"It'll be your highness if you try that again." he said as he stepped back. The rest of the crowd came forward thanking and wishing the two well. Maryn from Oakvale, Marcus the former Guildmaster, Graden, William, Toran, Lyle's family, townsfolk, shopkeepers, merchants, city guards, heroes, and all kinds from all over.

The last to step up was Thunder and Lady Grey. She looked at Lyle sheepishly as the two approached the heroes. Thunder immediately went to pounding proudly on Lyle's back. "Well farmboy, it's been good knowing ya. If you ever need some more hand to hand lessons, come back and visit me. I'll fix you up real good." said the dark knight as Lyle chuckled.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to come back if I ever get the desire to eat dirt again." he said, making Thunder laugh loudly. When they finished, Lady Grey walked up timidly and bowed to Lyle.

"Thank you hero." she said. Lyle hadn't seen her since the day he shook the paintings in her manor with his voice. Now, he really didn't know how to approach an actual conversation with her.

"Ummm...your welcome..." he said uncomfortably.

"My entire life, I saw everything as an opportunity for more power. Thanks to you, and the love of Thunder, I've seen what a monster I was. I have much to thank you for, but I wanted to thank you the most for making me truly happy." she said smiling up at him brightly.

Lyle smiled back. "I'm glad you're happy." he said.

"Stay safe both of you." she said as Thunder said his last piece to Lyle.

"Stay safe farmboy. If you let anything kill you after I failed, I'll find you and kill you again." said Thunder with a large grin. Lyle chuckled. "And don't forget where your roots lie. Albion will always be here for you if you ever want to come back." he said in a more serious tone.

"Don't worry Thunder. I know who I am, and I know that I will never forget any of you." he said as the pair went back to the crowd. Lyle and Alex climbed up on the ship and immediately turned to the crowd again as Raven and his crew began to set the ship into motion. The wind picked up again and his long white hair flew like a cloak as he waved goodbye to his friends and family for the last time.


	29. The Kingdom of Lights

OoO( 29 )OoO

The ship docked at one of the only open piers they could fine. Slowly it pulled in and came to a stop. Raven dove over the edge of the boat and quickly secured the vehicle to the dock to make sure it didn't float away, then climbed back up the rope almost as quickly as he had descended.

A short time later, a ladder was put down for the crew to reach the docks. Soon after, the hero climbed down and looked at the wonder before him. The city was enourmous, with walls the color of sunlight surrounding the entire metropolis. He looked over at the walls on either side of the docks and noticed small shelters built into them, each a few hundred feet from one another. "Certainly well defended..." he said as he began examining the city again. It was built into the side of the mountain, each section of the city was a shelf of its own on the mountain side.

Right down the center of the city was a large road that led up to a huge building sitting on the top tier of the mountain city. Soon, Alex came down after him, then the twin girls. The hero turned to his first mate, Raven, and shouted, "Stay on the ship for now. We'll see how the homecoming is before we start unloading!" The man nodded at him and went back to his duties on the ship.

As the four began walking down the pier towards the city, they were confronted by one of the dock workers. He was short and round, walking in almost a waddling fashion as he approached. Finally getting to the family, he stopped them. "I'll need the name of your ship, the captains name, and your business in the city."

Alex stepped forward with a smile. "The ships name is Talon, her captains name is Nemo, and we have come from Albion to see my family." said the beautiful archer.

The man quickly began writing the information down with a charcoal stick onto parchment. "That'll be forty gold for the day, and if you plan to stay any longer then that'll be extra." he said finishing the parchment off, then took out a small container and opened it, dipped his ring into it, and pressed it onto the document, leaving an imprint of the ring on the paper. "Visiting family huh? Albion is months away from here. Must be pretty important to come all that way for a visit." he said as he rolled it up and handed it to Lyle.

"You could say that." said the warrior as he took the document and stashed it in his armor. The dock worker looked up at Lyle for the first time and noticed his armor and weapons.

"I'm afraid you'll have to leave those on your ship." said the man, referring to the long blade and bow and arrow on his back. The hero took the weapons off and put them on the ship, then paid the foreman. "Everythings set. Just show the documentation to the city gateman and he'll let you inside. Since you're new to the city I'll make this clear. You cause any trouble, there are a thousand archers stationed around the city that could shave your head clean with their arrows. So mind yourself." he said, then began waddling away back to his station on the docks.

Lyle chuckled as the man walked away. "Well, that was an interesting 'Welcome to the city'." he said. Alex smirked as she held her two daughters hands, walking them along the wooden jetty.

"We haven't thrived the way we do by being nice to criminals. Don't worry though, I'll protect you when you get in trouble." she said giggling.

He looked at her with an injured expression. "When?" he asked posing dramatically. "But, I'm innocent! I would never cause trouble!" he said acting offended. She laughed, then raised her foot and kicked him, forcing him forward along the pier.

They made it inside the gates with little trouble, and were soon walking up the long road to the top of the pyramid-like city. Lyle looked around in awe at the amount of people in the enormous metropolis. "This is amazing..." he said as he saw massive groups of people moving from one food stand or merchant to the next. "Even Bowerstone was only a quarter the size of this place..." he said, still looking around in awe.

Chuckling at his child-like behavior, she pressed on until finally they had reached the top of the city, which required climbing an enormous stone staircase. At the top of the stairs, they were stopped by a guard with a large bow on his back, wearing silver armor that had a crest showing a bow with large angelic wings. The man placed his long pike in their path.

"What's your business with the royal family?" asked the man.

Alex stepped forward. "Me and my family would like an audience with his royal highness." she said politely.

"Haven't been here in a while have you?" asked the guard curiously, getting a confused look from her. "The king is ill and has been bedridden for the last few months. The queen is ruling in his place." he said, causing Alex to gasp in shock.

"Please, may we have an audience with the queen then?" she asked urgently.

The guard nodded as he raised his weapon again. "Of course, just go straight through the..." he said, but she took off before he could finish. Lyle picked up his two daughters and carries them with him as he followed her.

"Sorry..." said the warrior as he passed the guard and entered the large manor. When they got inside, Lyle was struck with the color gold and red. The floor was made of a soft material dyed red and spread across a wide area, leading all the way to the large throne in the center of the large hall. There was a line of about ten people standing along the red carpet, each waiting to get their request heard by the ruler. And in the throne, sat a woman in gold and red robes. The age showing clearly on her face, as well as her hair which had grey streaks in the shining blonde.

The look on her face was one that Lyle was intimately familiar with. Tiredness, wanting to give up, wanting nothing more than an exhausted mind wanting it all to be over with. Alex ran forward and the line shortened. It was only a few minutes before the woman was at the head of the red carpet, looking straight into her mothers tired eyes.

She knelt down, as did Lyle and the two girls. "Daddy, who is that?" asked Alma curiously. But her father shushed her.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about?" asked the woman in the throne.

"Your majesty, I wish to see my family again." she said, then stood up and stared at her mother. The older woman looked at her curiously.

"And where is your family?" she asked. Before anything else could be said, the sound of clattering metal startled everyone in the hall, including the newcomers that had lined up behind Lyle and Alex. Everyone looked over to see a tall man with long flowing blond hair and almost glowing green eyes standing over a tray of broken chalices, the liquid that was previously inside them now spreading across the red carpet. "Lucien? What's the matter?" asked the woman on the throne.

The man moved forward, his thin form almost gliding across the floor, then grabbed Alex by her shoulders and stared at her long and thoroughly. Finally, he spoke. "A-Alexandria..." he said, his face lit up as if he had just discovered cure for his disease.

She smiled at him as tears started to flow from her eyes. "Hello brother..." she said embracing him. He hugged her tightly, instantly breaking down into tears. The woman on the throne stood immediately and rushed down the small flight of steps to the carpet and pulled them apart, then stared at the woman.

"What trickery is this?" she asked, stepping away suspiciously. "My daughter died in Albion years and years ago..."

"Mother, please..." said Alex as she stepped forward. But the older woman took another step back.

"Don't come any closer! I'll not have this kind of sorcery in my kingdom!" she shouted.

Lyle finally stood. He probably shouldn't cut in, but he wasn't about to let this happen. "We thought she was dead too." he said, grabbing the attention of every eye in the room. "We hadn't seen her for years. She was nowhere to be found." he said as he took a step towards the woman.

"So this is sorcery then!" she said worriedly.

"No. We hadn't seen her because she was missing. She had been injured very badly, and it blacked out her mind. When we finally found her, she had lost her memory. She didn't know who she was, or where she came from. Only when I..." he said looking at Alex. "Only when I found her, and held her, did she remember who she truly was." he said smiling at his wife.

The queen looked at her and took a few steps closer, inspecting her more. "If what you say is true, and you are my daughter...then prove it." she said.

Nodding, Alex moved forward and took her mothers hand. "I remember when I was young, you would always tell me a story about a princess and a hero. The princess didn't want to rule a kingdom, and wanted to explore the world. So she left her kingdom one day, to try and live her dream of exploration. But she got very lost in the forest..." she said.

The womans legs felt weak and she fell to her knees, looking up at the girl in front of her. "She was lost, but a hero had found her..." said the queen, who now held both of her daughters hands. "And returned her home safe and sound." recited the woman. "Alex..."

Alex's tears flowed faster as she knelt down to her mother, who cupped her face gently. "Mother..."

"It really is you, isn't it?" she asked with tearful joy. She hugged her daughter tightly.

Lyle smiled and knelt down and nudged his daughters. "Mommy could really use a hug right now." he said, then chuckled as the twins bolted off and wrapped their arms around their mother and grandmother.

Alex smiled at her daughters as they tried cheering her up. "And who are these little angels?" asked the older woman.

"These are your granddaughters." said Alex happily as Lucien attempted to help them up from the floor.

The queen immediately looked at her daughter in shock. "I have..." she asked, unable to finish the question. As Alex nodded, she stood up straight and threw her hands in the air. "Praise Avo!" she shouted.

Almost as soon as it had happened, the news was out that Alexandria was not only alive, but was back at home in the kingdom. The streets filled with festive lights as the day grew darker with the coming of night. The citizens could be heard having their own celebrations inside taverns, houses, and even out in the streets. The kingdom of Ambervale almost immediately changed from a quiet crushed city, into a kingdom whos lights nearly rivaled the stars in the sky.


	30. Epilogue

OoO( Epilogue)OoO

Albion finally knew what peace was. The country basked in the silence left behind by the heroes of the guild. Every year, the celebration is still held for the defeat of Jack of Blades, bringing hope to those of future generations that there can be a world without tyranny.

The guild, under the influence of Vangard, the most powerful and loved mage to ever come from the guild, flourished. The acolytes came from all across the country, giving Van and his wife Elizabeth plenty to do. Even Ark stayed at the guild with his wife Cara, the two of them offering help to anybody needing it. Eventually, Ark became famous after restoring the broken arena to its former glory. Competitions are now held monthly in his and the other heroes honor.

Michael grew into the hero that the guild knew he could be. He gained his glory by defeating a group of pirates that had docked at Oakvale. Thinking it an easy catch, they pillaged the town until the dark skinned hero showed up and cut through any pillager that crossed his path. He had cornered the captain of their crew by the monument built in the shinobi girls honor, then ended up using her own weapons to kill him. The twin swords had saved his life, and in honor of the girl, he took her weapons as his own and vowed to end all evil with the deadly blades.

Kiko and her roving troupe of actors and entertainers did one last show in Bowerstone before deciding it was time to move on from the country and explore new areas of the world. At Kiko's suggestion, they decided to head west, following the trail of the hero that left a year prior.

Thunder retired from being a hero. The wear and tear had finally settled in and he set his sword and shield up on the mantle, trading them for comfortable robes and fine food. He stayed in Bowerstone, knowing with Ark as the new owner of the Arena, the town of Knothole Glade would be under his protection. Occasionally he still runs into someone that needed to be taught a lesson. But there wasn't anything he could do with a sword that his hands couldn't do faster. He and Lady Grey now lead Bowerstone with justice, removing any sign of corruption from their fair city.

Scythe and Zerga stayed on Snowspire, taking care of the villagers after the destruction caused by Jack. They rebuilt the town to greater heights. A small temple was built in honor of the battle that took place on the island, filling it's halls with statues of those who fought to destroy the threat of Jack from the world. They kept building onto it, filling it with more statues of the heroes until it became the largest temple in Albion.

After hearing of his daughters return, the king rose from his bed, against the advice of his healers, and rushed to see her. When he found out he also had two grandchildren, it seemed as if whatever sickness illed him immediately left his body. Lyle was introduced to her family, and the story of Albion told and spread across the kingdom by heralds, bards, and minstrels of all kinds. The warrior was welcomed by the family. In fact, in order to make the pairs marriage official, the king set up to have another ceremony in the very throne room.

Months after the Kingdom of Light regained its former glory, Alex was named the queen. Though reluctant, she took the role, allowing her parents to live the lives free of responsibilities. Lyle, though refusing to be called king, took up the roll of the queens husband, sharing her responsibilities. The girls grew to be tall and beautiful, like their mother. Rheleena decided to focus her attention on that of healing magic, wanting to help those who needed it. Alma grew to be like her father, wanting to become a hero. Lyle sent word to the guildmaster of the Guildmaster, and Alma and Rheleena both became acolytes at the guild their father had been raised in.

After the marriage of Alexandria and the Hero of Albion, the tension between the two kingdoms died down and a new cullis gate was set up inside the Kingdom of Lights making travel instantaneous, bringing the two kingdoms into an age of peace the likes of which hadn't been heard of since the fall of the Old Kingdom...

OoOoO

Since the battle with Jack, the village of Snowspire had grown to become the city of Snowspire. The Temple of the Cataclysm was now the most visited tourist attraction in all of Albion, even outdoing the Arena. People marched up and down the temple, staring at the statues and reading the inscriptions on the wall of what occured that day. Some even knelt down and prayed to the statues as if they were guardian spirits, or gods.

But despite the constant traffic through the temple, nobody was aware of the presence slowly making its way into the structure. Down below floor level where the bare battle torn ground used to be, dark energy leaked in through the Lyle's magic outburst had torn a small dimentional hole. So small that nothing could fit throug it, at least in its physical form. The energy slowly slid through the tear and into the ground underneath the temple.

_"Months...years..." _said the dark mass as it supressed its impatience. _"Centuries..." _it said growling in irritation. _"As long as it takes hero. I will be free, and when I am, your blood will be the first thing I taste..." _said the disembodied voice. Then it let out a loud laugh that chilled everyone on the island.


End file.
